city design standards - built over parking
city design standards - varied roof lines
city design standards - bay window
city design standards - forecourt
city design standards - textures
city design standards - canopies and awnings
city design standards - transitions
city design standards - flex loft
city design standards - shop fronts
city design standards - stoop
city design standards - balcony
city design standards - planters
city design standards - urban courtyard
city design standards - courtyard building

At a glance

  • Due to new state housing laws and a shortage of housing in California, the state requires cities to streamline the approval process for certain kinds of housing projects and cities have less control over how many new apartments and condos can be built and when.
  • The city has established objective design standards for multifamily and mixed-use projects to help the city retain some control over new development and streamline the city's permitting process to comply with new state laws.
  • Several architectural design styles were created that developers will be able to choose from to help preserve the unique character of the Village & Barrio.
  • The city worked on a similar project to create citywide objective design standards for areas outside of the Village & Barrio. The City Council voted to separate the two projects so Carlsbad’s two oldest neighborhoods could receive special attention.
  • The projects to create objective design standards do not include changes to existing development standards such as building heights, density or setbacks. It also does not apply to single-family or two-family residential development. It will only apply to future multifamily and mixed-use projects.

Objective design standards
What are objective design standards?
Citizens Design Review Committee
Previous public input opportunities

State housing laws update

Post Date:04/17/2025 10:14 AM

New state laws over the past several years have made building new housing – especially affordable housing – easier and quicker. On Tuesday, the City Council received an update on recent state housing laws and how they could affect Carlsbad.

From setting strict timelines and limiting the number of public meetings for project approval to eliminating environmental review and restricting discretionary authority , several new laws make it more difficult for cities to say “no” to new proposed housing developments. 

Maximizing local control

Carlsbad is in a better position than many other cities and has acted quickly to stay ahead by adopting a state-approved housing plan and objective design standards. 

Last year, the City Council took more steps to help protect Carlsbad’s community character by:

  • Requiring developers to do more public outreach when a project is about to be proposed.
  • Updating the city’s municipal code so that decisions about certain environmental requirements are made by the City Council or the Planning Commission at a public meeting instead of administratively by city planners. 

New proposed legislation

Looking ahead, dozens of new housing bills are being introduced in the state legislature. These bills cover topics, including:

  • Exemptions to further eliminate or streamlining environmental review for certain housing development projects
  • Reductions or elimination of impact fees and pauses to the enactment of new local development codes
  • Increased oversight and enforcement of new state housing laws
  • Increased incentives to build higher density projects in areas close to transit

The City Council’s Legislative Subcommittee works with city staff and the city’s professional lobbyists to advocate for local interests at the state and federal level. The meetings take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. You can attend in person at City Hall, watch the meetings live online or view a recording at your convenience.

Learn more about recent state housing laws and watch a recording of this week’s presentation.

Return to full list >>