SAN DIEGO | Boom Rundown, Vol. 3

[Streamliner]

Wow, it's been a long time coming for a new thread (nearly 19 years!). Thanks for creating this. I'll add some quick reference links here for newcomers, along with a recent (2026) photo I took from Harbor Island:

• Link: Downtown Development Activity Map
  The City of San Diego updates this Downtown Development Map periodically, with under construction, recently completed, and projects under review
  
  
• Downtown San Diego Height Limits
  It is often repeated that San Diego has an FAA-mandated 500-foot height limit for downtown buildings, however it's a bit more complicated than that. In short, the FAA determines if projects affects air navigation, such as when proposed buildings penetrate specific heights surrounding airports. The FAA doesn't approve or reject anything. Rather it's assumed that decision makers would reject projects that do this. In California, Caltrans permits are needed when buildings exceed 500 feet, and Caltrans has stated that they will reject any buildings above 500 feet if they are also located in these areas. So in effect, Caltrans, not the FAA, forces buildings in Downtown San Diego to max out at 500 feet above ground level. In addition to all that, for some reason, however, the City of San Diego goes beyond this and uses sea level instead of ground level. So all buildings built in the last 30 years haven't exceeded anything higher than 480 feet.
  
  More context in the previous thread can be found, or you can scroll down a couple posts to Will O'Wisp's summary.
  
  
• San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Mapping Tool
  The SDCRAA developed this ArcGIS mapping tool to help visualize various airport-related height restrictions, noise contours, airport boundaries. etc.
  
  
• BuildSD
  Build SD is a group that writes on local development. They document and advocate for sustainable development in San Diego
  
  

Photo source: me (January 2026)