San Jose 2040 General Plan

San Jose 2040 General Plan
Name	San Jose 2040 General Plan
Adopted	2011
Jurisdiction	San Jose, California
Agency	San Jose Planning Department

Contents

San Jose 2040 General Plan

The San Jose 2040 General Plan is the comprehensive long-range planning document adopted by San Jose, California in 2011 to guide land use, transportation, housing, and economic policy through 2040. It synthesizes objectives from regional entities such as the Association of Bay Area Governments, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and Santa Clara County agencies while aligning with statewide frameworks including the California Environmental Quality Act, Senate Bill 375, and California Housing Element requirements. The plan informs decisions by the San Jose City Council, Planning Commission (San Jose), and related bodies like the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

Overview and Purpose

The plan establishes a citywide vision linking historic districts such as Willow Glen, Japantown, San Jose, Downtown San Jose, and Alum Rock with regional growth centers including San Jose International Airport, Diridon Station, and Great America (Santa Clara). It references landmark projects like SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose State University, and Mineta San José International Airport to coordinate land use and infrastructure. Goals reflect precedents from Los Angeles General Plan, San Francisco General Plan, and federal programs including Smart Growth principles promoted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The document sets policy horizons that interact with legal frameworks such as the State of California General Plan statutes and judicial decisions involving California Planning and Zoning Law.

Land use designations in the plan delineate mixed-use nodes, urban villages, and neighborhood preservation areas around corridors like Almaden Expressway, San Carlos Street, North First Street, and transit hubs at Diridon Station and Tamien Station. Zoning coordination involves entities such as the San Jose Redevelopment Agency (historic context), Santa Clara County permitting, and standards referenced by the U.S. Green Building Council and International Building Code. The plan integrates conservation policies for open space adjacent to Guadalupe River Park, Almaden Quicksilver County Park, and habitat areas linked to Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It addresses environmental hazards including seismic risk in the Santa Cruz Mountains and flood management tied to the Coyote Creek watershed, informed by data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and California Department of Water Resources.

Transportation policies coordinate investments by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, regional rail operators such as Caltrain and BART, and intercity providers including Amtrak California and California High-Speed Rail Authority plans affecting Diridon Station. The plan prioritizes multimodal networks: bicycle corridors connected to National Bicycle Route System standards, pedestrian improvements around Santana Row, and complete streets concepts aligned with America Walks and National Association of City Transportation Officials guidelines. Utilities planning interacts with San Jose Water Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and regional waste management by South Bay Recycling. Infrastructure resilience efforts reference FEMA National Flood Insurance Program mapping, California Public Utilities Commission oversight, and climate adaptation frameworks used by California Energy Commission and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments.

Housing strategies address affordability targets influenced by California Department of Housing and Community Development, regional allocation through Plan Bay Area, and litigation such as cases interpreting Housing Element Law. The plan promotes density near transit corridors including North San Jose, East San Jose, and downtown parcels adjacent to San Jose State University and employment centers like Cisco Systems and Adobe Inc. Growth management references development impact mitigation used by Bay Area Toll Authority and mitigation banking practices seen in California Natural Resources Agency guidelines. Sustainability measures draw on LEED standards, CALGreen building codes, municipal greenhouse gas inventories consistent with Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, and urban forestry programs comparable to initiatives in Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

The plan targets sectoral growth in technology, biomedical, and advanced manufacturing clusters anchored by institutions such as Intel Corporation, IBM, Cisco Systems, Stanford University, and San Jose State University. It aligns land use with economic development tools used by Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Bay Area Council, and the Economic Development and Workforce Committee (San Jose). Strategies include supporting small business corridors like Story Road and King Road, workforce housing proximate to employment centers at North First Street and Alviso, and incentives modeled after programs by California Competes and U.S. Small Business Administration. The plan also considers tourism and convention facilities tied to San Jose McEnery Convention Center and cultural institutions like the San Jose Museum of Art.

Implementation relies on action programs administered by the San Jose Planning Department, capital improvement budgeting coordinated with the Redevelopment Agency legacy, and grant funding from state entities such as the California Strategic Growth Council and federal sources including the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Monitoring frameworks use performance measures comparable to metrics from the Urban Land Institute and reporting to regional agencies like the Association of Bay Area Governments and Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Governance mechanisms involve interagency memoranda of understanding with Santa Clara Valley Water District, public-private partnerships drawing on models from Port of San Francisco, and ballot measures historically seen in Santa Clara County elections to secure infrastructure financing.