California Cities Weigh Options as Deadline Nears for New Transit-Oriented Zoning Law

Local governments explore ways to either embrace, delay, or resist the state's new requirements for increased housing density near transit hubs.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 6:34am

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A dynamic, fractured painting of a city skyline with skyscrapers and construction cranes, conveying the rapid changes in urban zoning and development.California cities grapple with new state-mandated zoning changes that will reshape urban development near major transit hubs.Los Angeles Today

With a July 1 deadline approaching, cities across California are grappling with how to respond to a new state law that requires increased housing density near major transit stops. Some cities, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, are looking to buy time by preemptively boosting density in certain areas to qualify for temporary delays. Others, like Sacramento, plan to largely accept the state-mandated zoning changes. And a few, like Oakland, are debating whether to fully embrace the new rules or seek more comprehensive local alternatives, even as the state's governor has criticized some cities' resistance.

Why it matters

This new state law is a significant shift in California's approach to urban planning, aiming to spur more housing development near transit hubs. How cities respond will impact the pace and distribution of new housing construction across the state, as well as the level of local control over zoning decisions.

The details

Senate Bill 79, which goes into effect on July 1, allows developers to build mid-rise apartment buildings of up to 9 stories in neighborhoods near major transit stops. However, the law gives local governments some flexibility in how they implement the new zoning rules. Cities can either quickly adopt the state's requirements, develop their own alternative plans that still meet the law's density targets, or temporarily delay implementation in certain areas. Los Angeles, for example, voted to temporarily exempt lower-income neighborhoods, fire-prone areas, and historic districts from the new rules, while preemptively upzoning some wealthier single-family home areas to qualify for a longer delay. San Francisco is also considering a plan to roll out its own version of the law before the deadline. Meanwhile, Sacramento plans to largely accept the state's requirements with only modest local tweaks.

  • The new state law, Senate Bill 79, goes into effect on July 1, 2026.
  • Los Angeles voted last month to implement temporary exemptions and upzoning to delay the full implementation of the law until 2030.
  • San Francisco is aiming to roll out its own version of the law's requirements before the July 1 deadline.

The players

Gavin Newsom

The governor of California, who has criticized some cities' efforts to resist or delay the implementation of the new transit-oriented zoning law.

Katy Yaroslavsky

A Los Angeles City Council member who supported the city's strategy of temporarily exempting certain areas and upzoning others to buy more time before fully implementing the state law.

Scott Epstein

The policy and research director with Abundant Housing Los Angeles, a pro-development advocacy group, who expressed concerns that Los Angeles' approach may not actually produce much new housing.

Aaron Eckhouse

The local policy programs director for California YIMBY, one of the sponsors of the state law, who sees a silver lining in Los Angeles' delay tactic as the city seeks to implement the law on its own terms.

Jason Rhine

A lobbyist with the League of California Cities, which opposed the state law when it was being considered, who says some smaller cities may have no choice but to simply accept the state's requirements due to limited planning resources.

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What they’re saying

“We're pretty concerned that this is not actually going to produce housing.”

— Scott Epstein, policy and research director, Abundant Housing Los Angeles

“On the one hand, it's disappointing because we're delaying the full potential of the law. But in Los Angeles, city officials have long been fiercely resistant to proposed zoning changes in neighborhoods dominated by single-family homes. Now Los Angeles council members are effectively saying, 'okay, we will do this on our terms rather than on the state's terms.'”

— Aaron Eckhouse, local policy programs director, California YIMBY

“If you're a planner trying to come up with an alternative plan authorized by (the law), you don't have the information needed to even get started.”

— Jason Rhine, lobbyist, League of California Cities

What’s next

The California Housing Department has yet to publicly weigh in on any individual city's plans for implementing the new transit-oriented zoning law. Cities have until the July 1 deadline to decide whether to fully adopt the state's requirements, develop their own alternative plans, or seek temporary delays.

The takeaway

California's new transit-oriented zoning law represents a significant shift in the state's approach to urban planning, but how cities choose to respond will have major implications for the pace and distribution of new housing development across the state. While some cities are racing to embrace the law, others are seeking ways to delay or modify the requirements to better fit their local needs and priorities.