In October 2020, the City Council adopted an updated Downtown Station Area Specific Plan (DSASP). The Plan was updated with the stated purposed to address land use, transportation and infrastructure needs associated with intensification of housing development in the Downtown. The DSASP seeks to capitalize on Downtown Santa Rosa's assets—a unified Courthouse Square, walkable shopping at Railroad Square, and two transit hubs (the SMART railroad station and the Downtown Transit Mall)—and guide the intensification of an energetic commercial enterprise and innovative cultural center with a strong sense of place, enhanced connectivity, and increased residential and social options.

The DSASP envisions a vibrant urban core centered around Courthouse Square and a network of pedestrian-friendly mixed-use village centers, each with its own character. To make this vision a reality, the DSASP offers strategies designed to remove barriers to development, meet the community’s housing and job needs, foster vibrant civic spaces, and enhance local quality of life.