Carefully managing growth and development is critical to maintaining the City of Carlsbad’s excellent quality of life. Since 1986, the city has grown under the framework of the Growth Management Program, which has two parts:

1. In 1986, Carlsbad voters approved housing caps that limited how many homes could be built in the city.
2. The city then worked with the community to develop conditions (called performance standards) on how growth could occur, including requiring that development pay its own way by funding key infrastructure needed to serve new residents. 

Today, new state laws have changed how future housing will be approved. With less control over approving new housing, the city is entering a new phase where different tools will be needed to effectively manage growth.

A resident-led committee created by the City Council completed its work in April 2023 with a report that identifies issues and standards that will help ensure Carlsbad retains an excellent quality of life as it continues to grow. The City Council accepted the committee's report on July 18, 2023.

What's next

Progress is underway on the next phase of work to review and update several city policy documents and ordinances that currently govern the city's growth management program, so they reflect the updated standards recommended by the committee.

• This will also include technical studies to evaluate the fees that developers pay going forward to ensure the standards are met and infrastructure is maintained or provided as needed when new housing is built.
• All of this is expected to take a few years, but the end result will be an updated framework to help protect Carlsbad’s quality of life for many years to come.

During the Nov. 19, 2024, City Council meeting, staff were also asked to return at a future meeting to discuss issues related to maintaining open space in Carlsbad.