San Diego is set to allow for significantly more high-density housing near public transit after a regional planning authority expanded the interpretation of a new state law, SB 79, which took effect July 1. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) released a draft map identifying 17 additional bus stops as qualifying for higher density, adding to the 47 trolley stations already eligible.

This decision overrules a more limited proposal from San Diego city officials, who had sought to qualify only four bus stops under a stricter definition of “bus rapid transit.” The change reflects a broader statewide tension between local municipalities and state mandates aimed at increasing housing production. The expanded map could increase the city’s housing capacity by tens of thousands of units, aligning with state goals to promote transit-oriented development.