Note: This article appeared in the June/July 2025 DTNA News

On April 3rd, the Planning Commission was presented with a proposal for a new “Family Zoning” plan for San Francisco, focused on the removal of density controls, increases in heights along all transit corridors, and taller height limits along Market Street, Van Ness, and Geary Avenue.  As the Board of Supervisors must adopt a new map by January 2026, we need your input to ensure that the final map is  the best it can be- get involved to shape the future of the city and the neighborhood!

This is the most recent step in a long journey: In 2023 San Francisco adopted its updated Housing Element, committing to meet the State’s mandate for an expected 82,000 new housing units by 2031 under the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process. Of those, about 50,000 units are in the Planning Pipeline and the remaining 32,000 units are expected to come from relaxations of current zoning restrictions. Because much of the Eastern part of the city was rezoned in the early 2000s and the Western half of the city hasn’t seen similar increases in zoning (or in some cases was downzoned), the rezoning focuses on areas with high economic and transit resources- including Duboce Triangle!

Since 2023 when the first draft rezoning map was published, the DTNA Land Use Committee has hosted more than a dozen public meetings to discuss how to keep the neighborhood vibrant and livable as we grow.  Our community advocacy has made a difference: feedback from our January 2024 letter was reflected in this most recent update, with development focused on the outer edges of the Triangle and Market Street, full utilization of the Safeway lot, and a Local Density Program which should help preserve interior-block open spaces and provide us with better certainty about what actually can be built. 

The new Local Density Program helps the city preserve local control over zoning outcomes by adjusting the base height allowance and maximum height limit while offering many of the benefits of the State Density Program (removal of density limits, relaxation of requirements on amenities and sizing).  This new program should help preclude the appearance of unexpectedly tall buildings, help build trust in SF Planning and the rezoning process, and help ensure that our local needs are met.

However, there are still opportunities for improving the Local Density program and the Rezoning Map, and we want to make sure that the version which gets adopted reflects our neighborhood’s feedback!  In the April and May Land Use Committee meetings we’ve discussed concerns about specific neighborhood changes (particularly around Duboce Park and Market Street corner lots), and opportunities to improve the zoning plan by better protecting historic sites and mid-block open space. We’ve also flagged concern that we still need to harmonize the regulations of Building, Planning, and State departments.  We’ve also flagged concern that an over-reliance on development of Market Street and an under-reliance on transit-oriented development in the West could put the city at risk of falling short of its development goals.  

The coming months will be busy for the Land Use Committee, and we want your involvement! We’re excited to host SF Planning Director Rich Hillis and Board of Supervisors President Raphael Mandelman at the June 10th General Meeting, where we will be soliciting feedback from all neighbors.  The DTNA Land Usce Committee will draft that feedback into a formal letter to be sent to SF Planning and Supervisor Mandelman the following month, in the expectation of a final update to the zoning map to be released in the Autumn.  The zoning map will then move the Board of Supervisors, which has a state-mandated deadline of adopting a final resolution before January 31, 2026.  Stay tuned for updates along the way!

Duboce Triangle has long been a place that welcomes newcomers—whether queer folks, artists, recent graduates, or growing families. We are a neighborhood that believes in community, inclusion, and a city where people from all walks of life can live and thrive. This rezoning process gives us a chance to honor that legacy while guiding future development in a way that reflects our values. Let’s stay engaged—and make sure Duboce Triangle continues to be a place for everyone!

Join us at our monthly Land Use Committee meetings (June 9th and every Second Monday of the month, 7–8pm at the Chase Bank), or reach us at landuse@dtna.org.

SF Planning map is online at https://sfplanning.org/project/expanding-housing-choice

	Current	Proposed
Triangle Interior Blocks	40ft	40 or 50ft
Market Street Corner Lots	65ft	160ft
Market Street non-Corner	55ft	120ft
CPMC Davies Site	65ft & 130ft	85ft
Duboce Ave east of CPMC	40ft	85ft
Market & Church	85ft	85ft on Church,  160+ elsewhere
Safeway Site	85ft	up to 250ft