Looking at Hayward from above in the Hayward hills

Land Use & Community Character Element

The Land Use and Community Character Element establishes goals and policies to strategically accommodate future growth while preserving and enhancing the qualities and characteristics that make Hayward a desirable place to live, work, learn, and play.
Land Use & Community Character Element Overview
The fire house clinic

Community Health & Quality of Life Element

The focus of the Community Health and Quality of Life Element is to foster the health and well-being of all Hayward residents.
Read more about the Community Health and Quality of Life Element
Fire ladder truck

Community Safety Element

Like most urban communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hayward’s safety challenges range from protecting people and property from crime, to responding to fires, medical emergencies, and natural disasters.
Read more about the Community Safety Element
A restaurant in Downtown Hayward

Economic Development Element

The Economic Development Element seeks to improve the local economy by diversifying the economic base, supporting entrepreneurship and expanding employment opportunities through business retention.
Learn more about the Economic Development Element
Downtown Hayward Library

Education and Lifelong Learning Element

The Education and Lifelong Learning Element establishes goals and policies to improve education and learning opportunities for all Hayward residents.
Learn more about the Education & Lifelong Learning Element
An earthquake fault

Hazards Element

While it is impossible to completely avoid natural and man-made hazards, the Hazards Element establishes goals and policies to protect life and minimize property damage during future disasters and emergencies.
Review the Hazards Element
Multi-family Housing Unit

Housing Element

The Housing Element lays out the City’s plan for removing barriers to housing production to counter well-documented housing shortages, and helps ensure that the City is planning for its “fair share” of affordable and market rate housing.
Housing Element Overview
Jackson Street in Downtown Hayward

Mobility Element

Mobility, defined as the ability to move people and goods within and through a city or region, greatly affects a community’s economy, environment, and overall quality of life.
Review the Mobility Element
Hayward marshes at sunset

Natural Resources Element

The Natural Resources Element establishes goals and policies to protect and enhance the natural resources within the Hayward Planning Area.
Review the Natural Resources Element
Hayward Animal Shelter

Public Facilities and Services Element

The Public Facilities and Services Element establishes goals and policies to guide the overall provision of public facilities and services in Hayward.
Public Facilities and Services Element Overview

What is a General Plan?

California State law requires each city and county to prepare and adopt a comprehensive and long-range general plan (California Government Code Section 65300). A general plan is a comprehensive planning document that provides a city or county with a policy framework to guide decision-making related to land use, growth and development, safety, and open space conservation.  

To emphasize its importance, the general plan has been called the “constitution” for land use and development.  The general plan and its maps, diagrams, and development policies form the basis for the city’s zoning and subdivision ordinances and public works projects. Under California law, no specific plan, area plan, community plan, zoning ordinance, subdivision map, nor public works project may be approved unless the city or county finds that it is consistent with the general plan. Learn more about the General Plan:

 
 

Frequently Asked Questions:

I'm a Resident:
 
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Land Use Diagram & Designations

State planning law requires a general plan to describe the general distribution, location, and extent of planned land uses within the jurisdiction’s planning area. Read more about land use diagrams & designations below:

 
 

Implementation Programs

Learn more about the specific actions the City will undertake to achieve the goals and policies of the General Plan.

Review Implementation Programs