The Riverside County Context Sensitive Design Manual was developed to provide guidance to members of the public, building industry professionals, and County staff about the future development of properties within the unincorporated areas of Riverside County.

The Context Sensitive Design Manual established five Contexts based on the General Plan's Foundation Components and the Land Use and Development Ordinance's Zoning Classifications. All five General Plan Foundation Components are addressed in one of the five Contexts, which present a continuum of development standards, requirement, and recommendations based on proposed land uses and development intensity.

These guidelines serve to demonstrate the expected level of public improvements, project amenities, and standard of development for the five Contexts. For example Context 1 is intended to preserve the rural and agricultural character through minimal grading and public improvements, while Context 5 requires a high degree of quality site and architectural design and buffering between the various land uses.