Building Frontage Activation, Articulation and Transparency
San Diego Municipal Code § 131.0713
in effectThe purpose and intent of these regulations is to create visual interest that enhances
the pedestrian experience, assists in diminishing the overall mass of buildings, and
creates variation from a pedestrian’s perspective.
(a)
All buildings shall be oriented so that primary pedestrian entrances for each
ground floor use are accessible from an abutting public sidewalk or pedestrian
connection to a sidewalk. Where there is an internal pedestrian pathway or a
plaza, the primary pedestrian entrance may be internal.
(b)
All buildings located on a public right-of-way and building facades that front
a private drive, plaza, or other open space area in the development shall
provide a minimum of two frontage activation elements from Table 131-07C.
Chapter 13: Zones
(3-2026)
20
Table 131-07C
Building Frontage Activation Elements
Activation
Element
Amount- Minimums
Min
Width
Min Depth
Commercial
Storefront
None
None
None
Porches, Patios,
Yards and/or
Stoops
50% of the building facade
at ground level or one for
every 30 feet of frontage
At least 30 square feet in
total area
None
None
Vertical and/or
Horizontal Off-
Setting Planes
None
2 ft
2 ft
Balconies
30% of the building facade
or one for every 30 feet of
frontage
4 ft
6 ft
Arcades,
Colonnades or
Galleries
30% of the building facade
20 ft
10 ft
Awning, Canopy,
Marquee,
Sunshade or
Trellis
50% of the building facade
at ground level
15% for upper floor
building facades
2 ft
2 ft
Roll up or Large
Opening Doors
None, but still subject to
transparency requirements
Greater
than 5 ft
N/A
Plazas
See Section 131.0718(d)(7)
20 ft
N/A
Paseos
None
8 ft
N/A
(c)
The maximum length for the portion of a building located within 20 feet of a
street property line is 100 feet, unless there is a recess or separation to break
up the building mass.
21
Chapter 13: Zones
(3-2026)
(d)
A total of 50 percent of the building facade shall be offset by at least two feet
in depth from the rest of the building facade.
(e)
For buildings exceeding eight dwelling units, at least 30 percent of the roof
area shall have designs that vary and provide either vertical or horizontal
relief from the remainder of the roof area.
(f)
Buildings at intersections with traffic signals shall include one of the
following gateway or architectural features at the corner. These features may
not exceed the height limit within the Coastal Overlay Zone or other height
overlay zones.
(1)
Rounded corner with vertical or horizontal projecting or exaggerated
roof element;
(2)
Corner plaza;
(3)
Recessed entries;
(4)
Variations in materials or color; or
(5)
Roll up or large opening doors greater than five feet in width.
(g)
For non-residential uses, a minimum of 60 percent of the street wall area on
the ground floor shall be transparent.
(h)
For residential uses, a minimum of 40 percent of street wall area on the
ground floor shall be transparent.
Chapter 13: Zones
(3-2026)
22
Diagram 131-07A
Transparency Requirement for Non-Residential Uses
(“Building Frontage Activation, Articulation and Transparency” added 9-12-2019 by
O-21118 N.S.; effective 10-12-2019.)
23
Chapter 13: Zones
(3-2026)
Source: amlegal_browserURL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sanfrancisco/latest/sfplanning/Fetched: 6/28/2026