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General Plan Implementation: Next Steps
To support implementation of the City’s recently adopted General Plan, the City will complete a comprehensive Zoning Code update to align with General Plan 2040. This Zoning Code Update effort, which includes updating the Zoning Map, is anticipated to start beginning of 2025. If you would like to receive updates on the Zoning Code Update and other General Plan implementation efforts, please sign up for our mailing list.
Ten Big Ideas in San Mateo’s General Plan 2040
The General Plan includes the following big ideas that will guide the next 20 years of San Mateo!
Balance Growth and Change
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 sets the stage for higher density residential and mixed-use development close to transit and jobs while maintaining existing development patterns in lower density neighborhoods. Allowing a range of housing densities encourages a broad variety of housing types and sizes that fit many different needs, and building new homes near Caltrain and high frequency bus routes helps reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Enhance San Mateo’s Neighborhood Fabric and Quality of Life
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 promotes context-sensitive low density residential design, supports neighborhood shopping areas, improves neighborhood walkability and traffic congestion, protects homes, schools, and libraries from excessive noise levels, and provides for a comprehensive network of parks and recreational facilities for all to enjoy.
Preserve Nature as the Foundation of the City
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 honors San Mateo’s natural setting as an irreplaceable asset that is the physical foundation of the community by protecting open space and natural habitat, planting trees, maintaining the City’s urban forest, investing in natural infrastructure, preserving natural views and expanding access to parks and open space.
Encourage All Ways to Travel Around the City
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 supports a multimodal transportation system implemented using a complete streets approach that emphasizes safety and access for walking, bicycling, transit, and driving. By prioritizing mobility options and connectivity for all modes, the General Plan works toward reducing congestion on local streets, vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas GHG emissions.
Support the Local Economy
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 focuses on ways to keep jobs and dollars in San Mateo by supporting local shops, businesses, and services. It encourages new businesses that residents need and enjoy, such as restaurants, child care facilities, medical clinics, gyms, pharmacies, and grocery stores, in convenient locations throughout the community.
Address Historic Preservation Holistically
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 provides a comprehensive blueprint for historic preservation, starting with a citywide historic context statement and Historic Preservation Ordinance update, followed by updates to the historic resources inventory to identify architecturally, culturally, and historically significant buildings, structures, sites, and districts. These efforts will be based on community input and best practices from State and federal agencies, to find the right balance between preservation and other important priorities such as providing new homes.
Initiate a Comprehensive Sea Level Rise Strategy
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 prioritizes development of a climate change adaptation plan that addresses all ongoing efforts, including the work of regional agencies, local jurisdictions, and private property owners, to establish a comprehensive strategy for resiliency and adaptation against sea level rise and flooding.
Strengthen Community Outreach
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 prioritizes extensive community engagement and affirms culturally sensitive outreach methods that encourage early communication and broad representation, such as offering information and materials in the predominant language spoken in the community and scheduling meetings at convenient times and locations for community members.
Focus on Equity and Health for all Residents
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 directs City investment to public improvements that address health and infrastructure disparities in equity priority communities, including the North Central and North Shoreview neighborhoods. City investments will also support active and healthy lifestyles, reducing health disparities around the city, improving access to fresh and health foods, making parks and open space equitably accessible for all residents, and making streets safer and more beautiful.
Improve Community Safety Planning and Awareness
Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040 establishes clear actions to protect the community from emergencies and extreme weather events such as flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, and pandemics, by reinforcing the City’s emergency readiness and response capabilities, increasing power system resilience, maintaining a state-of-the art emergency notification system, providing community training programs, and planning ahead for disaster recovery.
