Greater Downtown Area Plan

The City of Redwood City is embarking upon an update to the long-range vision for Downtown and central Redwood City, which includes the Downtown core and adjacent neighborhoods. The visioning process will culminate in a new plan called the Greater Downtown Area Plan that will guide the area’s equitable evolution in terms of land use, urban design, connectivity, historic preservation, infrastructure, and climate adaptation. For more information, review the consultant request for proposals here. While this page provides a high level summary of the project, please visit the project and community engagement site linked below to find the latest information on events, project information, and the overall planning process. You can sign up for the project newsletter here. 

Click here to visit the Greater Downtown Area Plan website.

Background 

The current plan governing development in Downtown, the Downtown Precise Plan (DTPP) has been successful in implementing the community’s vision for Downtown in many respects and resulted in significant office and residential development, which has, in turn, supported Downtown’s renewed vitality. However, now that the DTPP’s development caps have been reached, the City Council has expressed interest in assessing current and anticipated community needs Downtown and in the directly adjacent neighborhoods in terms of development, historic preservation, transportation, infrastructure, and climate resilience, among other considerations. On November 4, 2019, the City Council unanimously approved a motion (MO 19-210) directing staff to “develop a resource plan to support a community visioning process to develop a new land use vision for Central Redwood City, with an initial emphasis in rail and transportation planning.”

In response to City Council’s direction, rail and transportation planning was largely accomplished through the creation of the City’s Transit District in December 2022. In order to implement the Council’s direction to develop a new land use vision for Downtown and adjacent areas, staff began working with a consultant team in September 2024 to prepare a new plan for the Greater Downtown Area, which includes the Downtown core and the adjacent neighborhoods of Centennial (south of Whipple Avenue) and Stambaugh-Heller (see map below).

Process & Community Engagement

Development of the Greater Downtown Area Plan is structured around a two-phase framework designed to engage the community and develop actionable strategies for inclusive urban development. The planning process is expected to culminate in 2027 with the final plan. The schedule below highlights milestones for public engagement throughout the planning process. For more information on the planning process and how to get involved, visit the Greater Downtown Area Plan website at www.rwcGreaterDowntown.com.

Contact

For questions about the project or process, please connect with the following staff.

John M. Francis
Principal Planner
Greater Downtown Area Plan Project Manager
jfrancis@redwoodcity.org