Profiled 2024 

The City of San Mateo, population 221,345 (2022), is located 20 miles south of downtown San Francisco in San Mateo County. In 1974, the city adopted a TDR mechanism referred to as density transfer.

Sending and receiving sites must be within the same planning area or specific plan area. The sites must also be under the same ownership at the time of the allocation or transfer, or in the case of a specific plan, at the time of approval. Transfers must be approved under the procedures for a special permit or planned development; however no approval is required if the transfer or allocation is authorized by an approved specific plan.