OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS  
When the State of California required all design standards to be objective and quantifiable, many cities were left without enforceable standards. Santa Cruz needed to act quickly to update their code.

SANTA CRUZ, CA

Housing under construction using the ODS

Housing under construction using the ODS

Explainer guides for community participants in English and Spanish

Explainer guides for community participants in English and Spanish

The project strived to create an inclusive zoning code, unlocking density in formerly single family neighborhoods

The project strived to create an inclusive zoning code, unlocking density in formerly single family neighborhoods

The project's Development Feasibility Calculator tests the impact of variables on cost of development

The project's Development Feasibility Calculator tests the impact of variables on cost of development

Details

PROJECT: Citywide Zoning Update
CLIENT: City of Santa Cruz
LOCATION: Santa Cruz, CA

Like many California communities, Santa Cruz had a critical housing shortage, set against a backdrop of community concern about the quality of new construction. The directive from Santa Cruz’s City Council was to develop Objective Design Standards that would uphold the character of Santa Cruz. Without a clear consensus on how to define the city’s character, the first task was to understand what Santa Cruzians love about their city, and what they value in their built environment.

Through a series of workshops, focus groups, and surveys, KHCD worked with Urban Planning Partners and InterEthnica to collect a demographically representative picture of what makes Santa Cruz special: the connection to the environment, the ability for people of all ages to be able to live and work here, and a strong commitment to sustainability as a way of life.

Kristen led the team to craft design guidelines that reflect this commitment to diversity, eclecticism, greenery, and sustainability by focusing on the technical elements that also help make buildings affordable, durable, and high performing.