San Diego is betting big on packing more housing around San Diego State University, signing off on a dramatic rewrite of the College Area’s long range blueprint that could roughly double the number of homes in the neighborhood.
The City Council has approved a sweeping update to the College Area community plan that clears the way for roughly 18,000 new homes in and around the SDSU neighborhood. The move redraws zoning that had been largely frozen since 1989 and shifts the focus to mid rise, transit oriented housing along College Avenue, Montezuma Road and El Cajon Boulevard. Supporters argue the overhaul will help relieve student crowding and cut car trips by steering growth to transit rich corridors, while neighbors warn the community is nowhere near ready in terms of parks, fire coverage and parking.
The City Council formally adopted the College Area Community Plan Update on December 16, 2025, replacing the neighborhood’s three decade old plan, according to the City of San Diego Planning Department. The action included new rezoning maps, draft implementation regulations and an addendum to the program environmental impact report that are bundled with the adopted plan.
What the update allows
The headliner is sheer capacity. The plan boosts the College Area’s allowable housing from roughly 16,700 units to about 34,450 units, an increase of around 17,750 homes that city staff and local outlets describe as “close to 18,000” new units, according to KPBS. Most of that growth potential is aimed at large shopping centers and major streets so the new housing can sit on top of or next to retail, restaurants and transit…