Planning Division

Beginning Tuesday, June 15, 2021, the Planning Division is open Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for drop-in services. We are closed on Fridays.

The Planning Division is responsible for implementing City policies that direct the physical development of the City. Policy implementation and project analysis include establishing conformance to local goals for development, adopted growth management goals, open space and agricultural preservation, and identifying environmental consequences.

General Plan

The General Plan is the City of Livermore's fundamental land use and development policy document, which shows how the City will grow and conserve its resources. The purpose of the General Plan is to guide development and conservation in the City through 2025.

Comprehensive General Plan Update - Click here to reroute 

Livermore Development Code & Municipal Code 

The Livermore Development Code and the Livermore Municipal Code are adopted to preserve, protect, and promote the public health, safety, peace, comfort, convenience, prosperity and general welfare of residents and business in the City. You may view the zoning map here: Zoning Map.

South Livermore Valley Specific Plan

The South Livermore Valley Specific Plan represents a four (4) year effort to create a plan that will provide the framework for future growth and development within an approximately 1,891-acreunincorporated area along the City of Livermore's southern boundary. The Specific Plan, which has been developed with a thorough analysis of environmental conditions and extensive input from City decision makers, landowners, neighbors, and the community-at-large, provides a comprehensive land use program for the planning area along with goals, policies and development standards to guide future public and private actions relating not only to the area's development, but also to the conservation of agricultural and natural resources. In addition, the Plan includes detailed information on necessary infrastructure improvements, and a strategy for insuring the Plan's implementation. The Plan also provides a mechanism to insure that development proposed by planning area landowners will be coordinated and occur in an orderly manner that has been adequately planned.

Livermore Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Active Transportation Plan

The Active Transportation Plan provides a comprehensive and current set of policies, data, and programs to improve walking, biking and trails in Livermore.  The Active Transportation Plan serves as a framework to implement the development of pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the City. View the Active Transportation Plan here.  (You may also view the Active Transportation Plan Appendices here for additional detailed information as well as the Active Transportation Plan Design Guidelines). Bikeways and Trails Map

Design Standards and Guidelines

The Livermore Design Standards and Guidelines document provides design guidance for private and public projects undertaken in the City. The ultimate goal for this document is to promote the improved aesthetic and functional quality of the community as a whole. The document includes separate guidelines for each land use category and applies to all areas of the City except those areas that are within the boundaries of the Downtown Specific Plan and the South Livermore Valley Specific Plan. The Downtown Livermore Concept Plan Landscape Design Guidelines document provides design guidance for private and public projects undertaken in Downtown Livermore’s Concept Plan area. The goal of this document is to establish a vision and implement an action plan to direct the revitalization and beautification of Downtown Livermore’s Concept Plan area.

East Alameda County Conservation Strategy

The City relies on the East Alameda County Conservation Strategy as guidance for regional conservation, and environmental permitting for private and public development projects. The Conservation Strategy provides guidance on how these projects should avoid, minimize, and mitigate for project impacts on biological resources in East Alameda County. The City also utilizes the Conservation Strategy as support for implementing the City Council’s priority for Open Space Preservation.

Community Services and Infrastructure Report

The Community Services and Infrastructure Report contains information on the current condition of public infrastructure and services as they relate to accommodating residential growth.

2019 Community Services and Infrastructure Report

The Community Services and Infrastructure Report contains information on the current condition of public infrastructure and services as they relate to accommodating residential growth. The Report serves as a basis for the City to establish the annual allocation of housing units and the policies for the Housing Implementation Program.

Historic Preservation

Livermore has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1869. The City recognizes this history as culturally and aesthetically important and integral to Livermore's character and identity. In order to safeguard the City's heritage, to stabilize neighborhoods, and to foster civic pride, the City preserves this history through three primary documents.

Historic Context Statement

The citywide Historic Context Statement distills Livermore's over-150-year history into contexts and themes that have broadly impacted the City's built environment. The Context Statement is used to classify the historically important sites in the City. For example, wineries and vineyards and the railroad are part of what make Livermore, Livermore. A copy of the Context Statement can be found here.

Historic Resources Inventory

The Historic Resources Inventory is a citywide list of all approximately 30,000 parcels in Livermore. Each parcel was analyzed for potential historic significance. Generally, any property that is related to the themes established in the Historic Context Statement was identified as historical or potentially historical. Therefore, the inventory identifies all the important historical and potentially historical sites across Livermore. For example, Hagemann Ranch and the Carnegie Library are listed as historically significant. A copy of the Historic Resources Inventory can be found here.

Inventory appendices can be found below:

Appendix A – Property Inventory

Appendix B – Significant, Designated

Appendix B - Significant, Evaluated

Appendix B - Potentially Significant

Appendix B - Not Significant

Historic Preservation Ordinance

In order to protect and preserve Livermore's historical resources, the City Council enacted an Historic Preservation Ordinance. The ordinance generally establishes a process for designating historic resources, creates a review procedure to protect historic resources from incompatible development, and discourages demolition of historic resources. A copy of the Historic Preservation Ordinance can be found in Livermore Development Code Chapter 9.02, here.