The University’s StanfordNext process offers an opportunity to plan growth thoughtfully, address long-standing housing and transportation challenges, and strengthen the relationship between the university and its neighbors. Learn how to get engaged!
Stanford University, located on unincorporated land in Santa Clara County just outside Palo Alto, has long played a major role in the local and regional economy. Now, Stanford is beginning a new long-range planning effort called StanfordNext. StanfordNext will guide the university’s physical growth, designed to meet future academic, housing, transportation, sustainability, and infrastructure needs on existing campus lands.
The university is starting early engagement with community members and stakeholders as part of this process. Because Stanford is one of the region’s largest employers and landowners, its decisions resonate beyond the campus itself. Early community input can help support shared regional goals.
StanfordNext offers an opportunity to plan growth thoughtfully, address long-standing housing and transportation challenges, and strengthen the relationship between the university and its neighbors.
After initial community and stakeholder input, the StanfordNext plan will lead to an application for a new General Use Permit (GUP), which the County Board of Supervisors will review. (The County of Santa Clara holds land use authority for land that is not within the boundaries of any city.) The new GUP is intended to align with state, county, and local priorities, while continuing to support Stanford’s leadership in research, education, and innovation.
Many details of StanfordNext have not yet been decided. However, the plan is expected to include gradual growth in research and academic space, new student and workforce housing, transportation and infrastructure improvements, and expanded community access to campus spaces and events.
In 2019, Stanford withdrew its previous GUP application after talks with the County ended without an agreement. Since then, the university has committed to better aligning its plans with community, county, and regional priorities.
Stanford has indicated that, compared to the prior application, the new GUP will feature:
- A clearer vision and scope
- Stronger focus on housing, transportation, and academic needs
- Alignment with county and state goals
- Early and ongoing community engagement, with a focus on transparency
A key part of this effort is the StanfordNext Advisory Council (SNAC), which includes SV@Home Executive Director, Regina Celestin Williams. The 22-member SNAC is a diverse group of community members from across the region. Members bring experience in housing, business, the environment, labor, transportation, K–12 education, and more.
SNAC members were selected by StanfordNext leadership and by supervisors from Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. This approach is meant to ensure a wide range of local perspectives helps inform the plan.
The SNAC will meet several times over the next year and provide input on academic growth, housing, transportation, and community benefits and partnerships.
Housing at Stanford
Housing is a central focus of StanfordNext. Over the past 25 years, Stanford has made a sustained commitment to building housing for people across multiple income levels and populations.
In the past two decades, Stanford has added more than 7,700 housing units and beds. These homes serve students, faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows. All university housing is located on campus, on nearby university land, or close to public transit.
- Stanford guarantees housing for all four years of undergraduate students and for first-year graduate students, totaling about 14,500 beds.
- Beyond student housing, Stanford provides more than 4,000 additional units for faculty, staff, and community members through off-campus rentals, rent subsidies, equity programs, and partnerships with developers.
SV@Home is invested in working with the university as it explores the next phase of its commitment to transit-oriented housing in the region.
StanfordNext On-Campus Open Houses: January 21 & 22
Stanford will host two open houses at Tressider Oak Room West on the Stanford University campus:
- Wednesday, January 21, 2026 (4:00–6:00pm)
- Thursday, January 22, 2026 (11:30am–1:30pm)
If you were able to participate in one of the community open houses in December, the information presented at these events will be largely the same.
However, if you could not make either of those sessions, these open houses will be a great way to learn about the goals and guiding principles for StanfordNext, its anticipated timeline, and more. You will also be able to speak with StanfordNext leaders and share the questions, concerns, and feedback that will be critical to helping the University shape the evolution of the campus.
Both events will include identical content and attendees are welcome to drop in at any time during the sessions.
RSVP here to receive additional details closer to the events.