San Diego’s SB 79 transit-housing rules: where the state’s upzoning law applies (and how the city is phasing it in)

California’s Senate Bill 79 (SB 79) takes effect July 1, 2026 statewide. In San Diego, though, it won’t look the same everywhere—because the City Council adopted an ordinance to phase in SB 79’s transit-oriented housing requirements.

The City says about 24 percent of the total SB 79 eligible areas are required to take effect on July 1, 2026. Other SB 79-eligible areas are delayed until the City adopts its Transit Village Plan (SB 79’s Transit-Oriented Development “Alternative Plan”).

What SB 79 is (in plain language)

SB 79 requires San Diego to allow certain transit-oriented housing development projects near qualifying transit stops. For San Diego projects, eligibility and the distance-to-transit “tiers” come from the City’s SB 79 maps and layers (including the SB 79 Eligible Sites (2026) layer inside Zoning and Permit Portal, or ZAPP) and qualifying transit stops identified by SANDAG.

Distance matters: SB 79 uses proximity to a qualifying transit-oriented development stop to set maximum height, maximum density, and maximum FAR.

The development standards San Diego uses (height, density, FAR)

Information Bulletin 479 sets these SB 79 limits based on distance:

• Within 200 feet: maximum 85 feet in height; maximum 140 dwelling units per acre density; maximum FAR of 4.0.
• Within 1/4 mile: maximum 65 feet in height; maximum 100 dwelling units per acre density; maximum FAR of 3.0.
• Further than 1/4 mile but within 1/2 mile: maximum 55 feet in height; maximum 80 dwelling units per acre density; maximum FAR of 2.5.

SB 79 projects also have baseline requirements. A transit-oriented housing development project must include at least five dwelling units and meet the greater of 30 dwelling units per acre or the minimum density of the base zone. The bulletin also caps the average total area of floor space for proposed units at 1,750 net habitable square feet.

Where SB 79 applies in San Diego: start with the ZAPP eligible-sites layer

SB 79 does not automatically apply to every parcel “near transit.” The City says the state law provisions and the Information Bulletin are effective only at locations identified on the SB 79 Eligible Sites (2026) layer in ZAPP.

Practical workflow:

• Log into ZAPP and find the SB 79 Eligible Sites (2026) layer.
• Confirm whether your parcel is within the eligible distance thresholds to a qualifying transit-oriented development stop.
• Then check which phasing category applies (immediate vs. delayed).

San Diego’s phased timeline: what starts July 1 vs. what waits

The City Council adopted the SB 79 phasing ordinance on May 21, 2026. According to the City’s SB 79 page, the ordinance:

• Exempts areas from SB 79 that are more than one-mile walking distance from a qualifying trolley or bus stop.
• Phases Low Resource Areas until the City adopts its next General Plan Housing Element in 2031.
• Phases implementation in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, on sites with designated historic resources, and on sites subject to one foot of sea level rise until the City adopts the Transit Village Plan.

The City Planning Department says it will share a draft Transit Village Plan for public review and feedback, then the plan will be heard by the Planning Commission and the Land Use & Housing Committee before going to the City Council. The City aims to present the Transit Village Plan to the City Council in early 2027.

What to do next (residents, renters, workers, and local businesses)

Residents and relocators: Use ZAPP to check whether your address sits inside the SB 79 Eligible Sites layer and which distance/phase category applies. That’s the fastest way to reduce uncertainty about whether “upzoning on day one” applies to your block.

Builders, developers, and property owners: Use Information Bulletin 479 to verify which height/density/FAR limits apply to your site based on its proximity to qualifying transit. If the project qualifies, the bulletin explains it can be processed as an allowed use requiring a Building Permit under Process One—but SB 79 does not remove other discretionary permit requirements, including any Coastal Development Permit requirement for projects within the Coastal Overlay Zone.

Sources

• Information Bulletin 479: SB 79 Transit-Oriented Housing Development Projects (July 2026)
• KPBS Public Media (July 1, 2026): where SB 79 applies / where it’s delayed in San Diego

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