General Plan Community Design and Land Use Elements

City of Santa Cruz

The City of Santa Cruz is updating its General Plan and Local Coastal Program to guide development and conservation through 2030. As part of this process, DC&E worked with City staff and the General Plan Advisory Committee to update the City’s Community Design and Land Use Elements. DC&E staff first conducted background research on the city’s existing land uses and community character, which included the identification and mapping of Santa Cruz’s distinctive neighborhoods, districts and corridors. In addition, DC&E identified policy issues to be addressed in the General Plan, such as the need for an improved jobs-housing balance. This research was summarized in the Community Design and Land Use Background Reports. DC&E also conducted an interactive, city-wide community design workshop that asked residents to consider the most appropriate strategies for preserving the city’s positive attributes and encouraging creative, high-quality development. By working collectively and in small groups, residents formed a consensus about what types of new buildings and public improvements are most appropriate in different parts of the city. They also identified a variety of strategies for enhancing specific neighborhoods. Based on the community’s input, DC&E prepared drafts of the Community Design and Land Use Elements, which the Planning Commission is considering for adoption.

DC&E is also assisting with implementation of the General Plan by preparing an Industrial Lands Study. Like many American cities, Santa Cruz has seen a decline in many of its traditional industrial businesses in recent decades. Manufacturing jobs account for only 6 percent of the city’s employment, and this percentage continues to drop. However, many thriving businesses remain in Santa Cruz’s industrial lands, and community members have expressed concerns that new land uses such as housing in industrial areas would create pressure for existing businesses to relocate outside of the city. To help the community understand these issues, DC&E is preparing a study that identifies the opportunities and constraints that will affect future growth and change in the city’s industrial areas. The information in this study will provide a necessary first step in defining a vision for economic development, land use and community character in Santa Cruz’s industrial areas.