The Pipeline Report
Browse the Development Pipeline
To download the Q3 2018 Pipeline data set:
- Navigate to the SF OpenData page
- Look for the row of colorful buttons and click on the light blue one labeled Export
- A side menu will appear on the right; select your preferred file format to download
What is the Pipeline?
The San Francisco consolidated pipeline consists of development projects that would add residential units or commercial space, applications for which have been formally submitted to the Planning Department or the Department of Building Inspection (DBI). Pipeline projects are at various stages of development: from applications having been filed to entitlements secured; from building permits approved and issued to projects under construction (see diagram below). The pipeline includes only those projects with a land use or building permit application. It does not include projects undergoing preliminary Planning Department project review (learn more about the PPA process here) or projections based on area plan analysis. Projects vary in size from single units to larger multi-year development programs undergoing environmental review.
Once a project is issued a Certificate of Final Completion by the DBI, it is taken out of the pipeline.
Data sources for the pipeline are chiefly the project databases maintained by the Planning Department and the Department of Building Inspection, respectively, but data is also occasionally obtained from the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (formerly known as Redevelopment Agency).
The Relevance of the Pipeline
The pipeline serves as a barometer of medium to long-term development trends. It illustrates location and scale of current and proposed future construction taking place and where new land uses (see data dictionary) are being established; it also records demolition and a partial listing of conversion of existing land uses. In sum, the pipeline provides a short- to medium-term picture of changing land uses, tracking especially the changes to the city's housing stock and commercial uses.
Accuracy and Timeliness
The pipeline is compiled and consolidated from different data sources and is subject to errors due to varying accuracy and currency of original sources. The pipeline quarters are as follows:
- Quarter 1 (Q1): January 1 - March 31
- Quarter 2 (Q2): April 1 - June 30
- Quarter 3 (Q3): July 1 - September 30
- Quarter 4 (Q4): October 1 - December 31
The data in this report is pulled from original sources current through Q3 of 2018. While we make an effort to consolidate multiple permits for different components of the same project from different agencies, it is not possible to validate the accuracy of all projects. Should you find inaccuracies and omissions, please e-mail your comments to teresa.ojeda@sfgov.org.
Previous Releases
Visit the SF OpenData catalog for more pipeline data sets.
Contact
For more information on the Development Pipeline report, please contact:
Teresa Ojeda
teresa.ojeda@sfgov.org
(415) 558-6251
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