Description
Increasing the floor-to-area (FAR) ratio of a project and the number of allowable dwelling units per acre, particularly near transit corridors and job centers, reduces travel distances and promotes non-Single Occupancy Vehicle travel.
Implementation Details
- Update zoning codes to allow for greater FAR, lot coverage, and units per acre for residential development within ½ mile of SunLine bus corridors and regional active transportation segments in cities.
- Align zoning overlays and Specific Plans to support higher density around planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or high-frequency transit infrastructure.
- Provide streamlined approval pathways for projects near transit corridors that exceed the average dwelling units/acre for the region.
- Update Housing Elements and General Plans to ensure consistency with Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) targets and regional Sustainable Communities Strategy growth goals.
Mitigation Potential
Increasing residential density places residences closer to destinations, which results in shorter and fewer Single Occupancy Vehicle trips. Further VMT reductions can occur with the increase of active transportation infrastructure.
Linked Strategies
Equity Considerations
Increasing residential density can raise equity concerns such as displacement, gentrification, and uneven distribution of benefits—particularly when low-income or historically marginalized communities bear the brunt of change while wealthier areas resist zoning reforms. Ensure that zoning reforms and increased density projects are distributed across communities and that increased development is accompanied by increased investment in infrastructure and public facilities such as schools. Anti-displacement programs and tenant protection programs can also help to mitigate gentrification.
Funding Sources
While it costs more to build more housing, increasing the density of projects generally yields greater profit returns for developers. It costs the municipality staff time to review projects with greater density and to update zoning codes. Resources from the state, such as the Regional Early Action Planning grants, have historically funded zoning updates to allow for greater density and infill housing. Other funding sources include the Multifamily Finance Super NOFA (California Department of Housing and Community Development), Density Bonus Programs (e.g. City of Riverside), the Community Development Block Grant (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), and the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (California Department of Housing and Community Development).
Examples/Case Studies
City of Pasadena Specific Plan Updates
Pasadena uses specific plans to encourage higher-density residential development along transit corridors, while applying anti-displacement policies to maintain affordability. North Lake is one the most notable specific plans that prioritize pedestrians and density.
City of San Diego Housing Plan Density Bonus Program Updates
San Diego allows 10 percent density bonus for developments that don’t go beyond the maximum building footprint. Developers building five or more dwellings in City limits might be eligible for an increase density exchange for setting aside a percentage of units for affordable housing.