Land Use Designations
What are Land Use Designations?
The following land use designations describe the intended future use of every parcel of land in the City. They are developed to provide both a vision for the organization of land uses and a flexible structure to allow for changes in economic conditions and community vision over time. Each land use designation includes a description of the use, a list of allowable uses, the density/intensity of the use (measured in dwelling units per acre or floor area ratio), and maximum allowable building height. The accompanying photographs are illustrative examples for scale and character and not architectural design. The Land Use Designations Map can be found at the bottom of this page.
Understanding Density and Intensity
State law requires that General Plan land use designations provide a measurement of the maximum development intensity allowed within each designation. According to State law, land use designations must identify the allowed uses and the development intensity (measured in dwelling units per acre, floor area ratio (FAR) or jobs/residents per acre). It is important to note that density is only loosely related to urban form and character.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
Floor area ratio (FAR), which applies to non-residential and mixed-uses, refers to the extent of development on a parcel of land or lot. FAR is used in the General Plan as a measure of non-residential or the non-residential portion of mixed-use development intensity. FAR expresses the intensity of use on the lot. The FAR is the ratio between the total gross floor area of all buildings on a lot and the total land area of that lot. For example, a 20,000 square foot building on a 40,000 square foot lot yields a FAR of 0.5. A 0.5 FAR can describe a single-story building that covers half of the lot, a two-story building covering approximately one-quarter of the lot, or a four-story building covering one-eighth of the lot. This makes FAR a useful tool for measuring development and environmental impacts.
Dwelling Units Per Acre (DU/AC)
The term density is used for residential uses and refers to the population and development capacity of residential land. Density within the General Plan is described in terms of dwelling units per gross acre of land (du/ac), which consists of total land area, including areas dedicated for future public uses, such as infrastructure facilities, parks, streets and rights-of-way. Existing streets, whether dedicated right-of-way or in easement are not included in gross acre of land.
It should be noted that du/ac is not always a useful predictor of neighborhood design character or population density. While in areas of single-family detached homes, du/ac does establish how many homes—and presumably how many families—will be present in each acre, in areas of mixed-use or multi-family development, it is much less helpful.
Land Use Designations
Residential
Neighborhood Rural*
Description: This designation provides for very low-density, single-family neighborhoods. The designation applies to areas with significant topography and in locations that necessitate a transition from residential areas to preserved open spaces. The designation helps to maintain a rural feel at the City’s periphery.
Allowed Uses: Single-family dwellings and accessory dwelling units, religious institutions, parks, schools, and other public facilities. Agricultural uses may be allowed if compatible with adjacent uses.
Density: 0 to 1.0 du/ac
Height Maximum: 35 feet
Neighborhood Very Low*
Description: This designation corresponds to existing and planned single-family development within the City. The purpose is to preserve single-family large lot developments in areas with topographic variation.
Allowed Uses: Single-family dwellings and accessory dwelling units, religious institutions, parks, schools, and other public facilities.
Density: >1 to 2 du/ac
Height Maximum: 35 feet
Neighborhood Low 1*
Description: This designation allows for low density, single-family neighborhoods between 2 and 4.5 dwelling units per acre. The purpose is to maintain existing single-family neighborhoods and to provide for infill development of a similar scale.
Allowed Uses: Single-family dwellings and accessory dwelling units, religious institutions, parks, schools, and other public facilities are allowed.
Density: >2 to 4.5 du/ac
Height Maximum: 35 feet
Neighborhood Low 2*
Description: This designation allows for single-family neighborhoods at slightly higher densities than the Neighborhood Low 1 land use designation. The purpose is to maintain the character of these existing single-family neighborhoods, while allowing infill development of a similar scale.
Allowed Uses: Single-family dwellings and accessory dwelling units, religious institutions, parks, schools, and other public facilities are allowed.
Density: >4.5 to 6 du/ac
Height Maximum: 35 feet
Neighborhood Low Medium*
Description: This designation allows a variety of attached and detached housing units and at slightly higher densities than other single-family neighborhoods. Lot sizes range from approximately 4,000 square feet to 7,200 square feet. Homes should be oriented toward the street to allow for walking and bicycling while still being accessible by car.
Allowed Uses: Single-family homes, duplexes, and accessory dwelling units. Typical building types include row houses, townhomes, and courtyard housing.
Uses such as religious institutions, parks, schools, and other public facilities are allowed.
Density: >6 to 10 du/ac
Height Maximum: 35 feet
Neighborhood Medium 1*
Description: This designation provides for a range of housing choices within a walkable setting and a short distance to goods and services to meet daily needs. It includes a mix of small lot attached and detached single-family homes and lower-scaled multi-family buildings. This designation is intended to provide a greater diversity of housing types to provide additional opportunities for all residents, including older adults, workers, and young professionals to live in Thousand Oaks.
Allowed Uses: Single-family and small multi-family buildings.
Allowed building types include small lot single-family homes, townhomes, rowhouses, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, courtyard housing, walk-up multi-family buildings, and accessory dwelling units.
Uses such as religious institutions, parks, schools, and other public facilities are allowed.
Density: >10 to 15 du/ac
Height Maximum: 35 feet
Neighborhood Medium 2*
Description: This designation is similar to Neighborhood Medium 1 but at a higher density. It provides for a range of housing choices within a walkable setting and a short distance to goods and services to meet daily needs. The designation allows for a mix of small lot attached and detached single-family homes and lower-scaled multi-family buildings. This designation intends to provide a greater diversity of housing types for residents, workers, older adults and young professionals to live in Thousand Oaks.
Allowed Uses: Single-family and small multi-family buildings allowed within the density range.
Allowed building types include small lot single-family homes, townhomes, rowhouses, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, courtyard housing, walk-up multi-family buildings, and accessory dwelling units.
Uses such as religious institutions, parks, schools, and other public facilities are allowed.
Density: >15 to 20 du/ac
Height Maximum: 35 feet
Neighborhood High
Description: This designation enables a variety of multi-family housing. The designation supports walkable, transit-ready residential neighborhoods concentrated near commercial, civic and recreational uses. The designation allows for a variety of multi-family building types including apartments, townhomes, rowhouses, and walkup buildings. This designation applies to both existing multi-family housing and new infill housing in appropriate locations. The Neighborhood High designation is mostly focused near Thousand Oaks Boulevard between Hillcrest Drive and Highway 101, east of State Route 23.
Allowed Uses: Multi-family uses. Building types include townhomes, rowhouses, and other types of multi-family buildings.
Uses such as religious institutions, daycare centers, parks, schools, and other public facilities are allowed.
Density: >20 to 30 du/ac
Height Maximum: 50 feet
Mobile Home Exclusive
Description: This designation provides for the continuance of existing mobile home parks in Thousand Oaks.
Allowed Uses: Mobile homes
Density: None defined
Height Maximum: 35 feet
*Note that single-family zones are subject to SB9, which was passed in 2021. This law allows for parcels in single-family zones to be subdivided and duplexes built on each lot.
Mixed-Use Designation
Mixed-Use
Description: The Mixed-Use designation allows for multi-story, multi-use infill development in potential growth areas of the City, such as Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Rancho Conejo, and Village Centers. The intent is to allow for single use retail areas to redevelop with higher intensity uses and to allow for more multi-family residential uses within the City. The designation is intended to allow for a diverse mix of residential and/or commercial uses. Uses may be mixed either vertically or horizontally and single-use buildings (such as residential-only buildings) are allowed. Buildings with this designation will be designed to contribute to a walkable environment with wide sidewalks, active frontages, and minimal setbacks from the back of the sidewalk.
Allowed Uses: Retail, restaurants, entertainment, bars, service commercial uses (such as banks or real estate offices), office buildings, hotels, multi-family buildings and attached single-family, such as rowhouses or townhomes.
Detached single-family homes, duplexes and industrial/manufacturing uses are prohibited.
Uses such as religious institutions, daycare centers, parks, schools, and other public facilities are allowed.
Density and FAR:
>20 to 30 du/ac
1.0 FAR (non-residential)
The density and FAR may be applied independently, so long as the total building form (e.g., heights, setbacks, etc.) is consistent with the zoning regulations.
Height Maximum: 50 feet**
Commercial
Commercial Neighborhood
Description: This designation accommodates a variety of neighborhood-serving retail, offices and service activities designed to serve the daily needs of residents. This designation also includes existing auto dealerships and related uses in specific locations.
Allowed Uses: Retail, personal services, restaurants, bars, entertainment, service commercial uses (such as banks), offices, automobile service uses (including sales and repair). Parks, public buildings, and religious institutions are allowed.
FAR: 0.5 FAR
Height Maximum: 35 feet
Commercial Town
Description: This designation allows for a variety of commercial uses at medium intensity and includes small business parks, garden-style offices, and a variety of retail and service uses.
Allowed Uses: Retail, office, service commercial, hotel/motel.
Uses such as parks, public buildings, and religious institutions are allowed.
FAR: 1.0 FAR
Height Maximum: 50 feet**
Commercial Regional
Description: This designation provides for “big box” and “large format” retailers in commercial shopping centers that serve residents of and visitors to Thousand Oaks. Most of the parcels are located along Highway 101 and are near freeway interchanges. The designation also allows for visitor-serving uses such as hotels and motels.
Allowed Uses: Retail, office, service commercial, hotel/motel. Uses such as parks, public buildings, and religious institutions are allowed.
FAR: 2.0 FAR
Height Maximum: 75 feet
**Heights may be increased up to 75 feet where specified by a Specific plan or Height Overlay zoning.
Industrial
Industrial Low
Description: This designation allows for lower intensity job-producing uses including manufacturing, distribution, industrial, research and development, offices, breweries, distilleries, and supportive retail and services. Buildings are generally large footprint buildings with surface parking. Care should be taken to create an attractive environment along public rights of way.
Allowed Uses: Manufacturing, distribution, light industrial/flex, research and development, office, supportive commercial.
Parks, public buildings, and religious institutions are allowed by right. Residential uses are prohibited.
FAR: 1.0 FAR
Height Maximum: 50 feet**
Industrial Flex
Description: This designation allows for a wide variety of higher intensity employment uses including offices, research and development, industrial, breweries and distilleries. This designation includes the highest intensity job areas of the City and is critical to the long-term fiscal health of Thousand Oaks. Hotels, motels, and conference centers are allowed. Limited retail and services are allowed to support the employment uses.
Allowed Uses: Office, research and development, light industrial, hotels/motels, service commercial and ancillary retail.
Public buildings and religious institutions are also allowed. Residential uses are prohibited.
FAR: 2.0 FAR
Height Maximum: 75 feet
**Heights may be increased up to 75 feet where specified by a Specific plan or Height Overlay zoning.
Institutional
Institutional
Description: This designation allows public, quasi-public and institutional facilities, including utilities.
Allowed Uses: Public facilities, utilities, public and private schools and colleges, hospitals, other public and quasi-public institutions, and religious institutions.
Density: None defined
Height Maximum: None defined
Parks, Golf Courses, and Open Space
Description: This designation includes the City’s public and private parks, golf courses, and open space.
Allowed Uses: Public and private recreation and open space.
Density: None defined
Height Maximum: None defined
