Objective Design Standards and Streamlined Project Review
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Faster Approval for Housing & Mixed-Use Projects!
Getting approval for your housing or mixed-use project just got a whole lot faster. Oakland needs more housing — and lots of it — to meet our city's goals and help make living here more affordable for all. To help review projects more quickly and objectively, we've created a new Ministerial Design Review process, which reviews projects based on Objective Design Standards.
We're cutting approval times and streamlining the application process — called "ministerial" review — for market-rate single family homes to multifamily buildings, along with a range of affordable or mixed-income housing projects. Learn more about these new standards below.
Objective Design Standards by Project Category
Standards for 1 to 4 Family Housing or Mixed-Use Projects
The following 1 to 4 family housing and mixed-use projects are subject to Objective Design Standards:
- Single-Family Homes, Duplexes, Triplexes, and Fourplexes
- Townhomes and other 1-4 unit housing projects
- Additions or conversions to an existing building that alter the exterior building envelope to create new dwelling units. If a project creates additional units that are entirely within an existing building, the project will go through Small Project Design Review instead, see Planning Code Section 17.136.030.
For details, see our 1 to 4 Family or Mixed-Use Project Objective Design Standards Guide and Checklist(PDF, 2MB).
Interested in applying for a project? Visit our Housing Projects Eligible for Faster, Streamlined Review webpage.
What Are Objective Design Standards?
Design standards are "objective" if they can be measured, verified, and known by everyone before a project is submitted. When planning reviews use objective design standards, there is no need for personal judgment by public officials.
In contrast, subjective design guidelines often need interpretation and personal judgment. Reviews based on subjective guidelines can take longer and be less predictable.
Example of an objective design standard: "Front setback shall be at least 4 feet."
Example of a subjective design guideline: "Front yard setback should match the character of the neighborhood." This guideline requires judgment about what "character" means.
Objective design standards are expected to make planning approvals more efficient, predictable, and fair, especially for affordable housing projects. To learn more, please see the Project Documents section.
Why is Oakland Undertaking This Effort?
To Build More Housing:
Oakland is experiencing a housing crisis, including rising costs, high rent burdens, displacement, and demographic change. The main issue is a shortage of available housing, especially for moderate and low-income residents. A simpler and faster planning approval process would increase housing options, especially for those most affected by high housing costs in Oakland.
To Comply with State Law:
California recently passed laws (SB 35 and SB 330) to help address the state's housing shortage. These laws require cities to use objective design standards for reviewing new multi-family and mixed-use housing projects. The new laws also prevent cities from denying approvals for certain housing projects based on subjective guidelines.
City Council Action:
In 2019, City Council passed Resolution 87579(PDF, 50KB) asking Planning staff to look into incentives for more transit-oriented and affordable housing. These incentives include simplifying the permitting process. Using objective design standards could help make the planning process faster and more efficient.
Past Engagement and Events
| Meeting Materials |
Date |
|
June 18, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting
|
June 18, 2025 |
| June 4, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting
|
June 4, 2025 |
| Community Workshop 1-4 Family and 1-3 Story Multifamily ODS
|
April 2025 |
| Public Review Drafts of the Objective Design Standards for 1- to 4-Family and 1- to 3-Story Multifamily Development
|
March 24, 2025 |
| October 2, 2024 Planning Commission Meeting
|
October 2, 2024 |
| July 24, 2024 Design Review Committee Meeting
|
July 24, 2024 |
| Community Workshop 4-8 Story Residential Multifamily ODS
|
May 22, 2024 |
| Advisory Group Meeting #2
|
September 7, 2023 |
| Focus Group Meeting #2
|
August 30, 2023 |
| Focus Group Meeting #1
|
August 24, 2023 |
| Advisory Group Meeting #1
|
November 14, 2022 |
| Objective Design Standards for 4-8 Story Multifamily Residential and Mixed Use Development DRC Hearing Draft Stakeholder Interviews
|
November 2022 (Various Dates) |
| Design Review Committee Hearings Draft 4-8 Story Multifamily Residential ODS
|
|
Project Documents
Learn more about Objective Design Standards and review Project Documents here.
Project Team
City of Oakland staff involved in the project include:
- Ed Manasse - Deputy Director of Planning
- Laura Kaminski - Strategic Planning Manager
- Ruslan Filipau - Planner IV, Project Manager
- Betty Marvin - Planner III, Historic Preservation
- Neil Gray - Planner IV, Zoning Division
- Peterson Vollmann - Planner IV, Development Planning Division
- Bebe LeGardeur - Planner II