On December 16, 2025, the San Diego City Council adopted the College Area Community Plan. The updated Community Plan takes into account current conditions, Citywide goals in the Climate Action Plan and the General Plan, and community specific goals to provide direction for the long-term development of the community.

During the update process, City Planning Department staff worked with the College Area community and the public to identify and consider important questions, issues, and opportunities including:

• How will College Area grow over the next 20-30 years?
• How can the community best plan for residential and employment growth?
• What services, infrastructure or facilities are needed to meet this growth?
• How can we build on the positive effect of San Diego State University?

The Planning Process / Schedule

Project Completion: December 16, 2025

Plan update outreach:

• Plan College Area included a wide variety of opportunities for public input. In addition to regular meetings with the College Area Community Planning Board and College Area Community Plan Update Committee, webinars, pop-up outreach events, key stakeholder interviews, online surveys, and meetings with other community groups allowed for a variety of public input opportunities throughout the planning process. The community engagement effort helped inform the land use, mobility, and public space concepts that were incorporated in the College Area Community Plan.

Supporting Documents & Materials

Adopted College Area Community Plan Update & Associated Documents

• On December 16, 2025, the San Diego City Council approved the updated College Area Community Plan and associated documents.
• The Final Community Plan Summary of Changes Report summarizes the changes made to the College Area Community Plan.
• The Final Mobility Technical Report provides a mobility analysis of the proposed mobility improvements identified in the College Area Community Plan Update.
• The Addendum to the Final Program Environmental Impact Report Sch. No. 2021070359 for the College Area Community Plan Update (PEIR), analyzes the environmental impacts that could occur if the plan is implemented and identifies any feasible mitigation measures or alternatives to reduce any environmental impacts.
• The Zoning Map illustrates the areas that will be rezoned to implement the land use map of the draft College Area Community Plan Update.
• The Community Enhancement Overlay Zone Diagram illustrates the areas that were included in the overlay zone as proposed by the College Area Community Plan Update. The areas are subject to the implementing regulations contained in the Municipal Code (§13.0216).
• The City Planning Department accepted Draft Community Plan Public Comments on the draft College Area Community Plan Update, which were reviewed and incorporated into the final plan.

Second Draft College Area Community Plan Update (July 2025)

• The July 2025 Second Draft College Area Community Plan Update incorporates revisions based on the feedback received from the community on the Community Discussion Draft.
• The July 2025 Second Draft Summary of Changes Report summarizes the changes made to the Second Draft College Area Community Plan.

First Draft Community Discussion Draft (January 2025)

• The First Draft College Area Community Plan was released in January, 2025.

Additional College Area Community Plan Update Materials

• The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) provides information and answers to common questions.
• The Community Survey Report summarizes the analysis and findings from the community engagement survey conducted to gauge community preferences on urban design, housing, parks and public spaces, and mobility in late 2020.
• The Existing Conditions Community Atlas provides baseline information on existing demographic, land use, urban design and mobility conditions within the planning area to help inform the planning effort.

Additional Documents and Meeting Materials

Land Use, Zoning & Housing Studies

The Zone and Land Use Matrix compares the proposed land use designations, density ranges, and zones in the College Area Community Plan.

Additional documents that have been prepared as part of the plan update process:

Economic Documents

• Market & Feasibility Analysis
• Memorandum on SANDAG Forecasts: Series 13 and Series 14

Land Use / Urban Design Documents

• Urban Design Framework - Issues & Opportunities Report
• Development Typology Report
• Historic Context Statement

Zoning Documents

• Draft College Area Community Plan Land Use and Zoning Table

Mobility Studies

• Draft College Area Community Plan Mobility Technical Report
• Mobility Existing Conditions Assessment
• Key Corridor Concepts

Environmental Studies

• Final Revised Addendum
• Program Environmental Impact Report SCH No. 2021070359
• Attachment 1 – Biological Resources Report
• Attachment 2 – College Area Historic Context Statement
• Attachment 3 – Cultural Resources Constraints and Sensitivity Analyses
• Attachment 4 – VMT Analysis
• Attachment 5 – Watershed Supply Assessment Report
• Draft College Area Community Plan Environmental Review Memo

Planning Commission Workshop Materials

The Planning Commission weighed in on the College Area Community Plan Update three times through different stages in the plan update process.

View the workshops and associated materials below:

Reports

• March 13, 2025
• November 17, 2022v
• June 10, 2021

Presentations

• March 13, 2025
• November 17, 2022
• June 10, 2021

Recorded meetings

• March 13, 2025
• November 17, 2022
• June 10, 2021

Community Plan Update Committee of the College Area Community Planning Board

The Community Plan Update Committee of the College Area Community Planning Board held over 20 public meetings to give input on the College Area Community Plan Update throughout the entire plan update process.

See below for all agendas, presentations, and other supporting documents from the CPU Committee, organized by date:

November 17, 2022 – Planning Commission Workshop - Draft Land Use Scenarios & Project Update

• Agenda
• Workshop Presentation
• Recorded Meeting

October 26, 2022 - Refined Land Use with Buildout Capacity & Blueprint San Diego

• Agenda
• Presentation on Refined Land Use with Buildout Capacity & Blueprint San Diego (updated Nov. 2022)
• Recorded Meeting
• Meeting Key Takeaways

September 28, 2022 - Refined Land Use & Blueprint San Diego

• Agenda
• Presentation on Refined Land Use & Blueprint San Diego
• Recorded Meeting
• Meeting Key Takeaways

August, 2022 - NO MEETING

July 27, 2022 - Open House Feedback

• Agenda
• Presentation on Open House Feedback
• Recorded Meeting
• Meeting Key Takeaways 

June 29, 2022 - NO MEETING - Community Open House at College Avenue Baptist Church

• Welcome + Introduction Boards
• Mobility  & Streetscape Boards
• Parks & Public Spaces Boards
• Urban Design, Land Use & Economic Prosperity Boards
• Conservation, Sustainability, Safety & Noise Boards

May 25, 2022 - Community Survey Results

• Agenda
• Survey Results Presentation
• Recorded Meeting
• Meeting Key Takeaways

February 23, 2022 - Land Use & Urban Design III / Community Survey

• Agenda
• Presentation on Land Use & Urban Design
• Recorded Meeting

December 1, 2021 - Mobility Concepts

• Agenda
• Draft Concepts for Key-Corridors
• Presentation on Mobility Concepts
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

October 27, 2021 - Community Design Framework & Land Use Variations

• Agenda
• Presentation on Community Design Framework & Land Use Variations
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

September 22, 2021 - Land Use Approach & Concepts

• Agenda
• Presentation on Land Use Approach & Concepts
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

August 25, 2021 - Park & Public Space Opportunities

• Agenda
• Presentation on Park & Public Space Opportunities
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

July 28, 2021 - Market Analysis; Building Typology & Urban Form

• Agenda
• Draft Development Typology Report
• Draft Market & Feasibility Analysis
• Presentation on Market Analysis, Building Typology & Urban Form
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

June 10, 2021 - Planning Commission Workshop

• Staff Report
• Presentation to Planning Commission
• Recorded Workshop

May 26, 2021 - Urban Design Issues & Opportunities; Public Realm & Green Streets

• Agenda
• Draft Urban Design Framework - Issues & Opportunities Report
• Presentation on Streetscape Concepts
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

April 28, 2021 - Mobility Vision

• Agenda
• Presentation on Mobility Vision
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

February 24, 2021 - Mobility: Existing Conditions

• Agenda
• Presentation on Mobility: Existing Conditions
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

January 27, 2021 - First Community Survey Results

• Agenda
• Presentation on Community Survey Results
• Community Survey Report
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

December 16, 2020 (Special Meeting) - Draft College Area Community Atlas: Existing Conditions Report

• Agenda
• Presentation on Community Atlas
• Draft Community Atlas (full document)
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

September 23, 2020 - Economic Prosperity Element and Noise Element Goals + Policies

• Agenda
• Presentation on Economic Prosperity & Noise Element Goals and Policies
• Draft Economic Prosperity Goals & Policies
• Draft Noise Element Goals & Policies
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

July 22, 2020 - Public Facilities & Safety Element Goals + Policies

• Agenda
• Presentation on Public Facilities & Safety Element Goals and Policies
• Draft Public Facilities and Safety Element Goals and Policies
• Recorded Webinar
• Meeting Key Takeaways

June 24, 2020 - Conservation & Sustainability Element Goals + Policies

• Agenda
• Presentation on Conservation Element Goals and Policies
• Draft Conservation Element Goals and Policies
• Recorded Webinar

May 27, 2020 - Vision Statement & Guiding Principles

• Agenda
• Presentation on Vision Statement and Guiding Principles
• Draft Vision Statement & Guiding Principles

April 22, 2020 - Draft Maps for Existing Conditions Community Atlas

• Agenda
• Presentation on Draft Maps for Existing Conditions Community Atlas

April 2020 - College Area Community Council: Community Plan Update Report

• CACC Report

Completed August 1997

• Full Version
• Planning Context
• Core Sub-Area Urban Design Plan – Full Version
  • Concept Alternatives
  • The Urban Design Plan
  • Character Districts
  • Land Use System
  • Building Location and Massing
  • Vehicular Circulation System
  • Pedestrian and Open Space System
  • Orientation and Identity System
  • Architectural Guidelines
  • Landscape Guidelines

The City Council adopted the 1989 College Area Community Plan on January 12, 1989.