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Zoning and Planning Basics
Learn about what zoning is and develop an understanding of the Planning Department's role in shaping our neighborhoods.
What is Zoning?
Zoning is an instrument for governments to regulate land development. The government that has the authority over the land could be at the local level (city, town, etc.) for the incorporated lots; at the county level for the unincorporated lots; and at the state and federal level for both types of lots.
There are multiple types of zoning districts. The reason we have different zoning types is that each one facilitates a specific character to a neighborhood or an area. Urban planners along with city councils create a master plan. In this plan, each lot has assigned a specific zoning type. This follows the urban design principles selected based on the desired lifestyle. It was by design the reason why we don't see a high-density area or skyscrapers next to an agricultural field.
Zoning consists of a set of regulations or codes that define what one can build on a property. These regulations specify the lot size, building's setbacks, maximum height, use, number of units, and a lot more.
Learn about each one in the next articles.
What is a Planning Code?
It is a very long document +2,000 pages of controls which includes:
- Land Use
- Density
- Height & Bulk
- Building Mass & Sculpting
- Signage
- Fees and Procedures
What does the Planning Department do?
The Planning Department works to improve residents’ quality of life, from building a vision for healthier neighborhoods to monitoring and guiding changes in land development. It creates a long-term plan called The General Plan. This is a roadmap for the City’s growth and change over time. It consists of goals and policies that will help the City address topics such as racial and social equity, housing, mobility, safety, climate resilience, and land use.
Planning Departments manage the growth and change of a specific jurisdiction by:
- Engaging in long-range planning
- Preserving historic resources
- Enforcing the Planning Code
- Assessing environmental impacts
- Reviewing and adjudicating development applications
The planning department is organized into Commissions (Planning and Historic Preservation) and Divisions (Administration, Citywide Planning, Community Equity, Current Planning, Environmental Planning, Executive Programs, Zoning and Compliance, etc.).
How does the Planning Department control the city development?
The General Plan is the legal underpinning for land use and policy decisions and a vision for how the City will grow and evolve. The General Plan reflects community values and priorities through its public adoption process, ensuring both private development and public action conform to this vision.
The planning department issues a set of codes and regulations that cover most of the aspects that influence the growth of a region based on the General Plan directives. These aspects differ from one jurisdiction to another but most of them include the:
- Housing element
- Commerce and Industry
- Urban Design
- Environmental Protection
- Air Quality
- Recreation and Open Space
- Transportation
- Land Use
- Arts
- Community Facilities
- Safety and Resilience
- Area Plans
- Heritage Conservation
- Environmental Justice
Does the Planning Department issue permits?
No. The Department of Buildings Inspection (DBI) issues permits, which the Planning Department planners review for compliance with the Planning Code.
What are Area Plans?
Area Plans are comprehensive policy visions that guide the development and evolution of specific neighborhoods.
These efforts are generally adopted to the City’s General Plan and make changes to zoning, design policies, inventory needed public improvements, and establish financial and implementation frameworks to guide the evolution and development of each specific district.