San Francisco Approved an Expanded Central SoMa Plan

The Central SoMa Plan, which sets development goals for a key swath of Downtown San Francisco, got bigger as it moved through a lengthy approval process.

1 minute read

November 15, 2018, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Regional Transit

The southeast corner of the Central SoMa Plan area is anchored by the CalTrain regional commuter train station. | Sundry Photography / Shutterstock

San Francisco has granted preliminary approval for the Central SoMa Plan, culminating years of planning and making space for 8,800 housing units and 31,000 jobs.

"A portion of downtown San Francisco will change dramatically with thousands of housing units, jobs — and even a public swimming pool — under a plan finally approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors after eight years of hearings, amendments and negotiations," reports Trisha Thadani.

San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim is quoted in the article saying the Central SoMa Plan is "the biggest area plan the city has passed."

"The rezoning of Central SoMa was initially about creating the large-floor-plate office buildings coveted by tech companies. It originally envisioned about 7,000 housing units and space for about 39,000 jobs. But as the city’s housing crisis worsened over the years, city planners and supervisors pushed to increase the amount of housing," according to Thadani.

The article includes a lot more details about provisions in the plan for affordable housing, past opposition to the plan, and next steps.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018 in San Francisco Chronicle

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

1 hour ago - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

One side of the image shows a Chicago bus stop without a bench, the second image shows the bus stop with a yellow and blue bench.

Guerilla urbanists are building DIY bus stop benches in Chicago

A before-and-after of one of the bus stops with a new bench. The new benches are not officially sanctioned or permitted, but the residents who placed them hope they will be the start of a network of DIY benches across the city.

15 minutes ago - Block Club Chicago

NYC Mayor Zohran Mandami speaks behind a blue podium.

Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals

The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.

1 hour ago - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.