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Pursuant to state law, the City of Long Beach is undertaking efforts to implement the General Plan Land Use Element, which was adopted by the City Council in 2019, as well as the 6th Cycle General Plan Housing Element, which was adopted by the City Council and certified by the State in 2022. This systematic rezoning throughout Long Beach will help ensure sufficient zoned capacity to meet existing and future housing needs and support the creation of more complete communities where housing, jobs and shopping are located more closely together and focused near the highest quality public transportation within the city. This effort builds upon previous city plans, goals, objectives and strategies to ensure that the City meets the housing needs of current and future Long Beach residents and provides fair housing options, neighborhood services, and business opportunities for all.

What is the Zoning Code and Why is an Update Needed?

The Zoning Code guides the types of uses (such as commercial, residential, or industrial) allowed for any given piece of property, the required development standards (such as required parking and building height), and the process for reviewing and approving development projects. New uses emerge in response to economic, social, and technological changes, both locally and globally. In Long Beach, the Zoning Code has not been comprehensively updated since 1989 after the previous Land Use Element Update, and since then, our community and economy have changed significantly. Through Zone In, the City seeks to engage the community to develop zoning tools that implement the community’s vision, address existing and projected community needs such as expanded housing and job opportunities, and simplify and improve the code for everyone.

In Progress Project Areas

Zone In: Bixby

Zone In: Bixby covers approximately 3.5 square miles. The project area is generally bounded by the Union Pacific Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) rail line to the north, Cherry Avenue to the east, East Wardlow Road and the 405 to the south, and Long Beach Boulevard and Country Club Road to the west. View the Zone In: Bixby Project Area Map.

The zoning regulations in place today for the Bixby Knolls area have not been updated since the 1980s. The updated regulations, which will guide the types of uses and development that are allowed on a property, will help the City meet future housing needs, provide and support neighborhood services and encourage business opportunities in Bixby Knolls and nearby neighborhoods. The effort is focused on commercial corridors and multi-family areas and not existing single-family neighborhoods.

Get Involved and Learn About Previous Community Outreach Efforts:

SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE UPDATES AND INFORMATION ON UPCOMING EVENTS

On February 7, 2025, staff attended Bixby Knolls First Fridays to disseminate information and engage with residents about Zone In: Bixby.

On July 26, 2023, staff held an Open House for Zone In: Bixby.

Zone In: Phase 4

Zone In: Phase 4 seeks to update zoning regulations to provide fair housing options, neighborhood services, and business opportunities and includes two sub-areas, one consisting of neighborhoods in Wrigley and the other consisting of neighborhoods such as Alamitos Beach, Rose Park, Carroll Park, Bluff Heights and Belmont Heights.

Sub Area 1 (Wrigley) is an area of about 1.5 square miles and generally bounded by Interstate 405 and Country Club Drive to the north, Pacific Avenue and Pacific Place to the east, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to the south, and the LA River to the west. View the Sub Area 1 map.

Sub Area 2 (10th Street to Broadway) is an area of about 3 square miles and is generally bounded by 10th and 15th Streets to the north, PCH to the east, Broadway and Colorado Streets to the south, and Benito and Cerritos Avenues to the west. View the Sub Area 2 map.

The City will be undertaking a public engagement process to inform community members and stakeholders about the project and will be posting more information soon.

Completed Project Areas

Learn more about each of the project areas and how you can get involved below!

Zone In: City Core, previously known as the Anaheim Corridor Zoning Implementation Plan (ACZIP) covers the area bounded by Pacific Coast Highway, 10th Street, Magnolia and Ximeno Avenues. View the Zone In: City Core Project Area Map.

The effort will update zoning regulations to support the development of new housing and a greater mix of uses, particularly along commercial corridors in the area, including Anaheim Street and Pacific Coast Highway. The plan will create a more complete community where residents, businesses, jobs and shopping are located near each other with a more pedestrian-friendly design and is anticipated to facilitate more than 3,000 market-rate and affordable housing units in the area.

The plan's equity-based framework is focused on both changes to zoning and land use regulations, as well as changes to the planning process itself. It will be grounded in a community power and capacity-building process in which the people most impacted by planning decisions, including young people, renters and people of color, and prioritized in the process and have their voices heard.

During the multi-year engagement process, the community identified concerns and priorities relating to safety, cleanliness, open space, mobility, parking, and displacement. These priorities are reflected in the following adopted documents.

Documents Adopted October 1, and in effect October 31:

Learn About Previous Community Outreach Efforts Below:

Phase 1
The presentation for the Zone In: City Core Virtual Open House is available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Vietnamese. If you would like to review the presentation, please click your language preference below:

Phase 2
During this phase of engagement, the City of Long Beach held a series of Open House events for Zone In: City Core phase two efforts. If you would like to review the presentation boards and engagement summary, please click below:

Phase 3
The City of Long Beach held a virtual Open House event for Zone In: City Core phase three efforts. If you would like to review the presentation boards and meeting recording, please click below: The City of Long Beach held a virtual Open House event for Zone In: City Core phase three efforts. If you would like to review the presentation boards and meeting recording, please click below:

Study Session
In addition to the virtual Open House, Staff held a study session on the rezoning efforts to date at the Thursday, November 3, 2022, Planning Commission meeting. To view the presentation and a recording of the meeting, please see the links below.

Virtual Open House
As part of the public comment period of the rezoning proposal, staff held a virtual community on Thursday, April 11, 2024, from 6 - 7:30 p.m. The video and presentation from that meeting are linked below:

Business Resource Meeting
Staff hosted a business resource meeting on Monday, August 26, 2024, at Ernest McBride Park Social Hall to inform businesses in the project area of the rezoning efforts, connect businesses with City resources available at the Economic Development Department’s BizCare team and at the Small Business Development Center, and gather feedback from and encourage an open dialogue with businesses in the project area. To view the presentation and a recording of the meeting, please see the links below:
Planning Commission
Staff presented to the Planning Commission on August 1, 2024. To view the presentation and a recording of the meeting, please see the links below:
  • Zone In: City Core Planning Commission Staff Presentation
  • Zone In: City Core Planning Commission Recording
City Council Adoption
Staff presented to City Council on September 17, 2024, for final adoption. To view the presentation and a recording of the meeting, please see the links below:

Following two years of engagement and technical analysis, the City of Long Beach completed efforts to rezone properties along West Willow Street and Santa Fe Avenue in West Long Beach! City Council adopted the new zoning districts at its May 2, 2023 meeting, the adoption hearing is available to view.

View the final rezoning map and  zoning regulations for West Long Beach.

Learn about previous engagement efforts below:

On May 14, 2022, staff held an Open House for the Zone In: WestLB project.

On Thursday, January 19, 2023, zoning changes for West Long Beach were also presented through a study session to the Planning Commission.

On Thursday, February 9, 2023, staff hosted a community meeting to provide additional information and answer questions about the proposed zoning regulations.

The Uptown Planning Land Use and Neighborhood Strategy (UPLAN) is a collaborative effort between the City and the North Long Beach community to come up with laws and policies to guide future development and create a new vision in North Long Beach. The UPLAN was designed to build upon past planning and visioning efforts for Uptown. Through a multi-year, community-centered process, community needs such as access to quality housing, jobs, and transportation options have been prioritized in zoning and transportation recommendations for the North Long Beach area.  

To learn more, visit longbeach.gov/uplanlb.

Helpful Resources

The Community Resource Guide is a directory of programs and services for renters, job-seekers and small businesses. 

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