City · San Diego County · California
San Diego General Plan
What San Diego, San Diego County, California is permitting and building, tracked from official state open data. The General Plan is San Diego's long-range blueprint for land use, housing, and growth.
Source: California HCD Housing Element APR
Housing & development by year
| Year | Units permitted | Units entitled | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,842 | 3 | 1,837 |
| 2024 | 8,816 | 685 | 2,958 |
| 2023 | 9,697 | 1,042 | 2,992 |
| 2022 | 5,396 | 865 | 1,904 |
| 2021 | 5,032 | 6,770 | 1,917 |
| 2020 | 6,482 | 2,069 | 984 |
| 2019 | 5,221 | 1,157 | 1,375 |
| 2018 | 3,895 | 5,914 | 1,038 |
The plan document
Read San Diego's official General Plan: San Diego General Plan →
Elements · 8 Verifier-checked summaries
- Land Use and Community Planning Element (2024 General Plan, May 2026 reposting) → Land Use 2024-07-23
The Land Use and Community Planning Element implements the City of Villages strategy. Its goals seek a sustainable land use pattern that advances climate goals; mixed-use villages connected by high-quality transit that serve daily needs for homes, jobs, public facilities, and recreation; villages offering homes affordable across incomes; and pedestrian-friendly villages. Policy LU-A.1 designates a hierarchy of village sites to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per the Climate Action Plan, affirms Downtown San Diego as the regional hub, intensifies Subregional Employment Districts, and designates Urban, Neighborhood, and Community Village Centers plus revitalized transit corridors. LU-A.2 sets the land-use/density mix to meet Climate Action Plan goals through community plan updates. LU-A.3 evaluates village sites by criteria including transit routes with 15-minute headways. LU-A.4 locates villages where served by public facilities and transit.
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The 2021-2029 (6th Cycle) Housing Element sets a Regional Housing Needs Allocation target of 108,036 housing units, broken down by income group: Extremely Low Income (0-30% AMI) 12,380; Very Low Income (31-50%) 15,169; Low Income (51-80%) 17,331; Moderate Income (81-120%) 19,319; and Above Moderate Income (>121%) 43,837. It is organized around six goals: Goal 1 facilitate construction of quality housing (Objectives A-F, including adequate sites, permitting improvements, and annual production targets); Goal 2 improve the existing housing stock (Objectives G-H); Goal 3 provide new affordable housing (Objectives I-K); Goal 4 enhance quality of life (Objectives L-N, including preventing displacement); Goal 5 exemplify sustainable development and growth (Objectives O-Q, aligning with greenhouse gas reduction strategies); and Goal 6 publicize housing needs and resources (Objectives R-S).
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The Mobility Element is organized into sections A-L: Walkable Communities, Bicycling, Shared Use Mobility, Transit, Complete Streets, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Transportation Demand Management, Parking and Curb Space Management, Airports, Goods Movement/Freight, Regional Coordination and Financing, and Emerging Technologies. Walkable Communities goals seek walking/rolling as a viable choice for trips under one-half mile and an interconnected pedestrian network; policy ME-A.1 emphasizes pedestrian safety using the Pedestrian Improvements Toolbox (Table ME-1), and ME-A.2 implements safe pedestrian routes to schools and transit. Bicycling goals target bicycling for trips under five miles; ME-B.1 implements the Bicycle Master Plan with a 'Class IV First' approach and ME-B.2 a bikeway network serving employment centers, schools, and transit stations. Transit goals seek an attractive system that is the first travel choice with reliable, competitive service and supportive land uses.
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The Conservation Element's purpose is to become an international model of sustainable development and conservation and to provide for long-term conservation and sustainable management of natural resources that define the City's identity. Section A (Climate Change & Sustainable Development) goals are to reduce the City's carbon dioxide footprint through energy efficiency, alternative transportation, sustainable design, and sound waste management; to adapt to and thrive in a changing climate; and to be an international model. Policy CE-A.1 influences state and federal greenhouse-gas-reduction efforts; CE-A.2 reduces the City's carbon footprint via efficient land-use patterns, reduced fuel emissions, energy efficiency, Urban Heat Island reduction including tree planting, waste reduction, and water supply planning. CE-A.5 employs green building techniques targeting net zero energy consumption (2020 residential, 2030 commercial) per the Climate Action Plan. Section B addresses Open Space and Landform Preservation.
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San Diego's open-space topic is addressed by the Recreation Element, whose sections include A. Park and Recreation Guidelines and F. Open Space Lands and Resource-Based Parks. Section A goals seek a sustainable park and recreation system meeting all community members' and visitors' needs; parks that keep pace with population growth through timely acquisition, development, and upgrades; increased recreation facilities through alternative methods where land is constrained; and equitable citywide distribution prioritizing communities with the greatest park needs first. Policy RE-A.1 implements the City's Parks Master Plan; RE-A.2 refines park land-use policies through community plan updates; RE-A.3 uses open spaces, beaches, and shorelines; RE-A.5 improves distribution of specialized facilities (water play areas, pools, off-leash dog areas, skate parks); RE-A.6 develops new parks including mini-parks, pocket parks, and community gardens; and RE-A.8 achieves Parks Master Plan standards including land acquisition.
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The Noise Element addresses Noise and Land Use Compatibility (Section A) and Motor Vehicle Traffic Noise (Section B), among others. Section A's goal is to consider existing and future noise levels in land-use decisions to minimize exposure to excessive noise. Policy NE-A.1 separates noise-generating uses from noise-sensitive uses with a spatial buffer; NE-A.2 consults the Land Use-Noise Compatibility Guidelines (Table NE-3); NE-A.3 limits noise-sensitive uses in high-noise areas; NE-A.4 requires acoustical studies (Table NE-4) where noise exceeds compatible thresholds; and NE-A.5 prepares community-specific noise studies during plan updates. Section B's goal is minimal motor vehicle traffic noise on noise-sensitive uses: NE-B.1 encourages compatible siting near freeways, NE-B.2 uses traffic calming and low-noise pavement, NE-B.4 supports alternative transportation modes, NE-B.7 promotes berms and landscaping over wall barriers, and NE-B.10 allows multi-home uses above 70 dBA CNEL.
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The Public Facilities, Services and Safety Element addresses the General Plan's safety topic across sections including Fire-Rescue (D), Hazard Mitigation & Disaster Preparedness (P), and Seismic Safety (Q). Fire-Rescue goals protect life, property, and environment through emergency services and minimize structural and wildland fire hazards including managing fuel loads. Policy PF-D.1 sets response-time standards: first-due unit within 7.5 minutes 90% of the time, and a multiple-unit response of at least 17 personnel within 10.5 minutes 90% of the time. PF-D.2 uses population-density performance measures (Table PF-D.1); PF-D.4 provides roughly 0.75-acre station sites. Hazard Mitigation & Disaster Preparedness goals seek a city able to prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters with minimal service disruption and a resilient, sustainable community. Seismic Safety goals protect public health by abating structural hazards and avoiding inappropriate uses in seismic risk areas.
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- Environmental Justice Element (Equity Forward, 2024 General Plan) → Environmental Justice 2024-07-01
The Environmental Justice Element is organized into seven topic sections: Inclusive Public Engagement in City Decisions (A), Pollution Exposure and Air Quality (B), Active Play (C), Promoting Healthy Food Access (D), Safe and Healthy Homes (E), Climate Change and Resilience (F), and Public Facilities and Infrastructure Prioritization (G). Section A's goal is a just and equitable society through inclusive public outreach and participation in planning. Its policies: EJ-A.1 reduces barriers to participation through flexible engagement methods; EJ-A.2 applies inclusive strategies reflecting local demographics; EJ-A.3 provides education and participation tools; EJ-A.4 makes information accessible and transparent; EJ-A.5 fosters trust through transparent decision-making; EJ-A.6 expands services for participation; EJ-A.7 reports progress back to communities; and EJ-A.8 incorporates public input into decisions. Section B (Pollution Exposure and Air Quality) includes policies on noise-reducing materials and discontinuing incompatible industrial uses.
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Element summaries are generated from the official document text and held unless every fact is grounded in the source. Links open the jurisdiction's own published documents.