Design Guidelines
The City of Santa Cruz is developing design guidelines for multifamily housing and mixed-use development. These guidelines will help shape how new housing is designed so it fits well within neighborhoods, contributes to the character of Santa Cruz, and supports safe, attractive, and livable communities.
Design guidelines are principles and recommendations that cities can adopt to express the community’s vision for how new development looks and feels in the city.
These guidelines will build on the City's existing design standards and provide additional direction for future housing development. Community input will help shape the final guidelines and ensure they reflect local values, priorities, and the unique character of Santa Cruz.
Upcoming Engagement Opportunities
Please take a few minutes to share your perspective on design guidelines for larger multifamily housing through this public input survey. Your feedback will help refine what we’ve heard in earlier engagement and shape the final guidelines so they reflect local values, priorities, and the unique character of Santa Cruz. The survey will remain open through August – we look forward to hearing from you!
Past Engagement
On July 23, 2026, the Planning Commission hosted a community meeting on design guidelines for larger multifamily housing. This meeting provided an opportunity to learn about the Design Guidelines Project, ask questions, and engage in discussion with Planning Commissioners, City staff, and fellow community members. Feedback received from this meeting has been incorporated into the community input survey.
Want to share your thoughts?
We are committed to a community‑informed process and want to hear from you. We encourage you to attend upcoming meetings related to this project and to share your thoughts through the forthcoming public input survey. If you have additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please contact project manager Akana Jayewardene: ajayewardene@santacruzca.gov.
Anticipated Project Timeline