Berkeley could see 2,650 additional units of housing in Southside thanks to a new upzoning plan approved by the Berkeley City Council at a special meeting Tuesday morning.

District seven City Councilmember Rigel Robinson, who represents the Southside neighborhood, submitted the item with cosponsor Councilmember Mark Humbert.

The upzoning plan is part of continued efforts to tackle the ongoing student housing crisis and build denser housing in “transit-rich neighborhoods” such as Southside, according to Robinson.

“The city and university have together failed to build the housing necessary for the growth of the campus community for years,” Robinson said in a statement. “That ends now.”

The newly approved upzoning plan includes changes to building height maximums, minimum density requirements and reduced separation between buildings.

Under the newly proposed minimum density, for example, Southside must build 60 units of housing per acre; there is no maximum density under this new standard.

The new zoning amendments, in tandem with recently passed state legislation, could allow Southside to construct housing up to 16 stories in height.

The wave of new housing is, according to Robinson, “one of the most critical steps cities can take” to respond to the persisting housing and climate crises.

The upzoning plan was initially set to be discussed at the council’s Nov. 15 meeting but was postponed after more than 30 demonstrators shut down the meeting calling for a ceasefire in Palestine.

Following the shutdown of last week’s meeting, Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express her disappointment.

“I’m disappointed that Council was unable to complete the people’s business yesterday,” Kesarwani said last week in a statement on X. “I respect the right of all to protest, and I understand strongly-held beliefs on issues of war & peace. But disrupting our ability to approve needed homes for students is unproductive IMHO.”

The council adopted a first reading of the ordinance this week but must approve a second reading at a subsequent meeting before the amendment can take effect.

In his statement, Robinson said the construction of denser housing in Southside under the passage of the new upzoning plan is key to creating “a more livable Berkeley for everyone.”

“These zoning amendments are the product of years of work going back to my time as a student on campus,” Robinson said in the statement. “I wish it hadn’t taken so long, but I am deeply proud that this final upzoning plan is so incredibly ambitious and will bring tremendous new investment to the neighborhood.”