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.  When mobility networks are overburdened and inefficient, communities can fail to live up to their full potential, and the economy and overall quality of life can suffer.  Time is lost in traffic congestion, businesses are less efficient and less profitable, energy resources are wasted, and air quality and natural resources are degraded.

Public and Quasi-Public Uses

The Public/Quasi-Public designation generally applies to major governmental, educational, cultural, and health care facilities located throughout the city.  Properties may be developed with a variety of public and quasi-public uses, including community centers, recreation centers, government offices, hospitals, primary and secondary schools, college and university campuses, transit stations, and other related government facilities and services.

Industrial Land Use Designations

Industrial Development

Commercial and industrial uses are regulated by a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) standard.  FAR refers to the ratio of building floor space compared to the square footage of the site.  FAR is calculated by dividing the floor area of all buildings on the site by the total square footage of the site.  For example, a 12,500 square foot building on a 25,000 square foot site has a FAR of 0.5.  The maximum FAR standard limits the overall size of development on a property.  As an example, a maximum FAR of 0.75 would allow 75,000 square feet o

Mixed-Use Land Designations

Mixed-Use Development

The density and intensity of mixed-use developments that include both commercial and residential uses are regulated by both the maximum residential density (units per acre) and the maximum FAR standard for the land use designation.  As an example, a one acre site (43,560 sq.

Commercial Land Use Designations

Commercial and industrial uses are regulated by a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) standard.  FAR refers to the ratio of building floor space compared to the square footage of the site.  FAR is calculated by dividing the floor area of all buildings on the site by the total square footage of the site.  For example, a 12,500 square foot building on a 25,000 square foot site has a FAR of 0.5.  The maximum FAR standard limits the overall size of development on a property.  As an example, a maximum FAR of 0.75 would allow 75,000 square feet of building floor area on a 100,

Residential Land Use Designations

Residential Development

Residential developments are regulated by an allowed density range (minimum and maximum) measured in “housing units per acre.”  Residential density is calculated by dividing the number of housings units on the site (excluding second units on single-family lots) by the net acreage of the site.  Net acreage excludes land required for public and private streets, parks, and other public facilities.  The diagram below shows prototypical examples of different residential densities for one-acre properties.

Land Use & Community Character Element

With the exception of Downtown Hayward and a few residential neighborhoods, the majority of Hayward neighborhoods and districts were developed during the post-World War II housing boom of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

As a result, the city’s land use patterns and urban design features are generally characterized by single-use neighborhoods and centers, low-density housing tracts, strip commercial centers, and auto-oriented street networks.  In the 1990s and 2000s, the City of Hayward began a new era of land use planning and urban design based on the principles of “smart growth.”

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