Urban Villages

Here you can learn about San José's urban village strategy and view the approved urban village plans and those under development.

Urban villages are areas that include residential and jobs-based developments; have access to transit; and are walkable and bicycle-friendly. Creating urban villages is the fifth of 12 major strategies in San José's General Plan. The urban village strategy fosters:

Engagement of local residents in planning the urban village;
A mix of housing and employment to reduce traffic;
Revitalizing underutilized properties;
Densities that support transit use, bicycling, and walking; and
High-quality urban design.

San José envisions 60 urban villages across its180-square mile area. The locations were selected through an extensive public outreach process for the Envision San José 2040 General Plan. The locations are those that could best accommodate growth for both jobs and housing.

Phased development (Horizons). The General Plan calls for development within urban villages to occur in phases that are called "horizons." Development is to be carefully managed to achieve the vision for growth, as follows:

Non-residential uses (commercial, office, etc.) - Development proposals for non-residential uses that are consistent with the General Plan are permitted regardless of which Horizon the development site is located within.
Residential and mixed uses - Development proposals for residential uses are only permitted to occur in the current Horizon. A development proposal for residential and mixed-uses may address the entire planned capacity of the area following the preparation of an urban village plan.

Signature Projects. For developments that are proposed in an urban village area prior to the City Council's approval of the urban village plan, the development proposal must conform to the Signature Projects requirements outlined in the General Plan.

Learn more about the vision for urban villages by watching this video.

URBAN VILLAGE PLANS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

Five Wounds Urban Village Plan Update - Planning staff completed extensive outreach in 2023 and early 2024 for the consolidation of the four approved urban villages that surround the future 28th Street/Little Portugal BART Station with an updated single plan. Learn more.

Approved Urban Village Plans

Here are locations in San José with approved urban village plans:

Regional Transit Urban Villages

Local Transit Urban Villages

Commercial Corridor and Center Urban Villages

Neighborhood Villages

24th and William - part of Five Wounds Urban Village Plan Update

Other Urban Villages

Rincon South Specific Plan - For this plan:
- Please disregard the Specific Plan Land Use Plan and instead refer to the General Plan Land Use Diagram.
- Future development must be consistent with the Rincon South Specific Plan and the North San Jose Area Development Policy.

FAQs

What is an Urban Village?
The City of San Jose’s General Plan, Envision San Jose 2040, was adopted in November 2011. This new General Plan established the Urban Village concept to create a policy framework to direct most of San Jose’s new job and housing growth to occur within walkable and bike friendly Urban Villages that have good access to transit and other existing infrastructure and facilities. Creating complete Urban Villages is how the City will plan for that new growth. Preparation of a written document or Urban Village Plan for each Urban Village area will provide for continued community involvement in the implementation of the 2040 General Plan and for land use and urban design issues to be addressed at a finer level of detail.

Urban Village areas were selected specifically as the best areas of the City for new growth to occur. We deliberately left out most of the areas already developed as single-family neighborhoods. By concentrating new development in these newly designated areas it will help the City meet its environmental, fiscal, economic, and transportation goals, including but not limited to:
- Support and encourage increased transit use.
- Protect open spaces and hillsides.
- Reduce greenhouse gases.
- Promote economic development.
- Build more healthy communities.
What is the Urban Village General Plan land use designation?

The Urban Village land use designation is applied within the Urban Village areas that are planned in the current Horizon (see Horizon section below for a description of planning Horizons) to accommodate higher density housing growth along with a significant amount of job growth. This designation supports a wide variety of commercial, residential, institutional or other land uses with an emphasis on establishing an attractive urban form in keeping with the Urban Village concept. Development within the Urban Village designation should conform to land use and design standards established with an adopted Urban Village Plan.

Prior to preparation of an Urban Village Plan, this designation supports uses consistent with those of the Neighborhood Community Commercial designation, as well as development of “Signature” Projects (see “Signature” Projects section below for a description of this type of project). Following preparation of an Urban Village Plan, the appropriate use for a site will be commercial, residential, mixed-use, public facility or other use as indicated within the Urban Village plan as well as those uses supported by the Neighborhood/Community Commercial designation
What is an Urban Village Boundary?

The Urban Village Area Boundary delineates the areas of the City identified as having the potential to support growth through redevelopment and intensification to implement the General Plan’s Focused Growth Major Strategy. The Urban Village Area Boundary may be adjusted through the Urban Village planning process. Properties within an Urban Village Area Boundary may have an Urban Village designation or an underlying General Plan designation that is not Urban Village (e.g. a commercial or residential designation). New development must conform to the underlying designation for the property. Most sites within areas designated as within the Urban Village Area Boundary are planned for full redevelopment in a later General Plan Horizon. (See the Horizon section below for a description of Horizons)

What are Horizons and what does it mean to be in one versus another?

Residential development under the Envision General Plan is planned to occur in phases, referred to as Horizons, in order to carefully manage San José’s expected housing growth. Generally Urban Village Growth Areas included in the first Horizon are designated on the Land Use / Transportation Diagram with the Urban Village land use designation (orange color on the map) and will be available for residential and mixed use development up to their entire planned capacity following preparation of an Urban Village plan.

Future Horizons are designated as being within an Urban Village Boundary, but typically not yet designated with the Urban Village land use designation (orange color on the map). Commercial and mixed use non-residential development is allowed in any horizon.

Those properties within the current Horizon may be able to develop a residential project consistent with the Urban Village Plan versus a property within a future Horizon that may not be developed yet with for residential use.

Plan Horizon	Growth Area
"Base" Capacity for new housing development not regulated by Plan Horizons	Downtown Specific Plan Areas North San Jose Area Development Policy Vacant / Underutilized Lands Residential Neighborhoods Existing Entitlements
Horizon 1	Downtown, Urban Village Corridors (East Santa Clara Street, Alum Rock Avenue, West San Carlos Street, and The Alameda)
Horizon 2	BART Station, Light Rail Station, and Light Rail Corridor Urban Villages
Horizon 3	Planned Light Rail Stations and Corridors, Commercial Centers, and Neighborhood Urban Villages

The City Council will consider whether the jobs/ housing balance, fiscal sustainability, and infrastructure are sufficiently strong to move into each subsequent Plan Horizon. Once another Horizon is opened, additional geographic areas will be available to possibly develop residential.

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