How to use this platform — what it's for, where it's accurate, and where it isn't. Last updated: April 27, 2026.
Preliminary feasibility analysis. Enter a San Diego address or APN and the analysis engine pulls zoning, overlay designations, and site conditions from public GIS services in real time, then returns side-by-side per-pathway unit counts under the regulations currently modeled (see the Regulations page for the full inventory and the Data Sources page for what is and isn't in the engine today). The output is a screening tool — what to do before commissioning a real feasibility study, not a substitute for one.
It is explicitly not:
Results are most reliable when:
Treat any of the following as a signal to engage a professional before relying on the analysis:
Every analysis assembles data in real time from public GIS services — SANDAG, the City of San Diego Web GIS, CAL FIRE, the California Geological Survey, FEMA, the State Water Resources Control Board, USGS, and OpenStreetMap, among others. We do not host a curated parcel database. The accuracy of results depends on the accuracy and availability of those sources at query time. A service being down, a layer being out of sync with recent Council actions, or a parcel record with missing or incorrect attributes will affect results. The Data Sources page lists every provider.
Alley adjacency, corner-lot status, overhead utility lines, and similar site-level flags are derived from OpenStreetMap, whose coverage varies by neighborhood. Absence of a flag does not guarantee the underlying condition is absent. When an OpenStreetMap query cannot complete at all, the results page surfaces a notice so you know those flags are unverified rather than confirmed-false. Either way, verify these conditions against a site visit and the title report before relying on them.
Pathway unit counts are derived from a uniform average unit size, a single efficiency factor, and a simple floor-plate-times-stories building envelope. Real projects involve design-driven variation in these inputs — corridors, stairs, elevators, mechanical cores, setback geometry, bulk-plane rules, shading and privacy constraints, and construction-type implications for height. The tool is designed for screening, not permit-set modeling. Pathway eligibility also depends on the Development Assumptions you enter; adjusting stories, average unit size, or preserved-unit count can change which pathways qualify and the unit counts they produce. Treat an analysis as a starting point for a real feasibility study, not the finished product.
The platform includes an AI Q&A assistant — accessible from the help bubble in the lower-right corner, the dedicated /ask page, and the “Ask AI about this analysis” card on the results page. The assistant is powered by Anthropic Claude and is grounded in the San Diego Municipal Code excerpts and analysis context loaded into the tool. AI-generated answers are informational only and may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — including when stated with high confidence. They are explicitly not legal, architectural, engineering, financial, or planning advice. Every assistant answer must be independently verified against the San Diego Municipal Code and confirmed with the City of San Diego Development Services Department or a licensed professional before being relied upon for any project decision. Treat the AI assistant as a starting point for your own research, the same way you would treat a search result.
Laws scheduled to take effect but not yet operative — most notably SB-79, effective July 1, 2026 — are documented on the Regulations page, and their known downstream effects (for example, the exclusion of designated historic sites from state density provisions) are flagged on results today. Per-parcel eligibility for those laws is not calculated until the authoritative maps and final regulations are available.
Each analysis reflects the rules and data available at the moment it was generated. Regulations change frequently. Always verify current requirements with the City of San Diego Development Services Department before relying on an analysis for a material decision.
This platform does not provide professional architectural, engineering, legal, financial, or planning advice. Use of the platform does not create a professional relationship between you and the operator or any affiliated architect, attorney, or financial advisor. Any investment, development, or real estate decision should be reviewed by qualified professionals and verified against current requirements with the City of San Diego Development Services Department.
The analysis does not substitute for title report review, environmental or geotechnical investigation, traffic or parking study, CEQA review, Coastal Development Permit review, Historic Resources Board review, Airport Land Use Commission review, or actual Development Services Department review. Results carry additional uncertainty in the Coastal Zone, within Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan safety zones, within historic districts, and at overlay boundaries — any situation where interpretation or discretionary review is involved.
This platform is an independent product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, licensed by, or otherwise connected to the City of San Diego, the San Diego Development Services Department, the San Diego Planning Department, the San Diego Housing Commission, SANDAG, the County of San Diego, the State of California, or any other government agency. References to municipal codes, regulations, or department names are descriptive only — used to identify the rules being modeled — and do not constitute or imply any government endorsement of this product or the analyses it generates. Trademarks, seals, and other identifying marks belonging to the City of San Diego or any other government entity remain the property of those entities.
The platform makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information on this platform. Users conduct independent due diligence at their own risk.