Notification Requirements & Endorsement Disclaimer
Notification Requirements
SFDPH respectfully requests that if you are planning on applying the HDMT to a land use/development plan or project, that you notify us of your intention to do so. As we present the HDMT to a range of interested parties, we would like to track how the HDMT is used, the types of projects that are evaluated, findings that are generated, and ultimately, how the results are used. As we revise the HDMT periodically to reflect lessons learned, sharing your application will help us in this process.
"Application" of the HDMT means the evaluation of particular land use plan or project against our development targets and making a general assessment of the "healthfulness" of a plan/project. We do not consider the use of the indicator data, research citations, standards, or development targets as reference material in your work or in developing evaluation materials to be an "application." SFDPH is happy to provide guidance and technical assistance in how to conduct an application of the HDMT to a development project/plan. Please note that we generally preference under-resourced organizations in providing such trainings and technical assistance.
The following are examples of the situations in which we would like to be notified:
- You are a resident or community organization that is concerned about a specific development project going up in your neighborhood. You want to use the HDMT development targets to identify what aspects of the project need improvement and use those findings to advocate for a better project.
- You are a developer trying to counter NIMBY opposition to your project. You want to use the HDMT as a way to highlight its benefits and how the project will not generate negative impacts.
- You are a local redevelopment or planning agency interested in using the development targets to screen a project in your jurisdiction.
If you fall under any of these categories or are unsure of whether you should notify us, please send us a message to discuss using the HDMT in such a way. In addition, we would also appreciate receiving materials related to your application – e.g., a description of the project you are evaluating or a completed application. Please note that receipt of any such documents is not the equivalent of an endorsement of your evaluation. Please read our Endorsement Disclaimer to learn more.
Endorsement Disclaimer
The HDMT articulates a vision for growth and development in San Francisco that can accommodate a wide range of plans and projects. While the HDMT can be used to evaluate those plans/projects against that vision for growth, SFDPH is not in a position to endorse specific development plans or projects. Use of the HDMT is meant to highlight the positive and negative impacts of a project/plan and its potential trade-offs, with the ultimate goal of recommending opportunities for improving that project/plan. We generally do not take positions on whether a project should be built, but rather seek to provide mitigations to make a project more “healthful.” For those constituencies interested in using the HDMT to evaluate a plan/project on their own, such a review does not constitute a SFDPH stamp of approval.
We anticipate evaluating a number of plans/projects each year using the HDMT. These applications are generally focused on public sector plans/projects or plans/projects that have the potential to impact a wide range of San Francisco’s population. Our Applications page illustrates the types of projects/plans we typically evaluate. Even in these instances when we ourselves evaluate a plan/project, we have not taken a public position on whether that plan/project should move forward. We have however, identified the benefits and burdens of those projects and made numerous recommendations for how they can be improved.