San Diego is launching a three-year effort to update the blueprint for future growth of a large swath of the city, including Normal Heights, Kensington, Talmadge and City Heights.
The update to the Mid-City Community Plan is expected to increase how much housing is allowed in many places, especially properties along El Cajon Boulevard and other major streets.
Other neighborhoods included in Mid-City are Rolando, El Cerrito, Oak Park, Webster, Redwood Village and Ridgeview. The area is bounded by Interstate 8 to the north, La Mesa to the east, southeastern San Diego to the south, and North Park and South Park to the west.
A key city strategy for solving the local housing crisis is revising community plans to allow more high-rise and mid-rise apartment buildings.
Recent updates in Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa and Mission Valley have the potential to more than double the populations of those neighborhoods.
Four other community plan updates are under way: University City, College Area, Clairemont and Hillcrest. The Hillcrest update will amend a community plan for a wider area called uptown.
The Mid-City update will be the first for the area since 1998. That update 25 years ago reduced the allowed housing density based on concerns the area lacked amenities, particularly park space.
In addition to increasing opportunities for dense housing, the new plan is expected to identify needed infrastructure and places for new parks, public spaces and safe places to walk and bicycle.
City officials are seeking community feedback on the plan, including a survey available on the city’s website.
After several neighborhood meetings across Mid-City, the first draft of the plan is slated to be completed in mid-2025. City officials say they expect the City Council to approve a final version in fall 2026.
“As communities grow and change, it’s important to have an updated plan that is aligned with present-day needs and opportunities to create more homes, jobs and new infrastructure,” said Heidi Vonblum, the city’s planning director. “We are counting on the public to share with us how we can best ensure the plan benefits current and future San Diegans in Mid-City.”
