AUTUMN  2004

IN THIS ISSUE:

Shaping Our Community for the Future:
Pasadena's General Plan Plots the Course

Guiding Principles

Defining the Documents

Central District 101: Planning for the Dynamic Future

A dynamic downtown

Implementing the vision

The "Pasadena Look"

Traffic!

Ready to learn more?

Central District Specific Plan Boundaries

Central District Trivia

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary

Answers to Central District Trivia

Noticias en Breve

Shaping Our Community for the Future:
Pasadena's General Plan Plots the Course

HAT WILL PASADENA LOOK LIKE in 10 years? Can we minimize the 
impacts of new development on our city? Can we do anything about all this traffic? An economic growth cycle is prompting many to ask these questions.

The Land Use and Mobility Elements of the General Plan, a new Central District
Specific Plan and revised Zoning Code plot the course for where new development 
will be concentrated, what it will look like and how traffic will be controlled.

This special edition of Pasadena In Focus describes what the documents are all about and how they will guide Pasadena’s future. 

First, a little background.

1994 was an important year in Pasadena. After input from thousands of residents, 
an updated General Plan was adopted and principles were put in place to guide the progress of the plan. 

Now, 10 years later, certain parts of the General Plan are being updated.

What is the General Plan? It is a framework for translating broad community values 
and expectations into specific strategies for managing growth and enhancing the quality of life. The General Plan is reviewed regularly and updated about every five years so it can continue to be a realistic document for achieving the community’s vision for the future. It includes goals and policies for transportation, housing, land use, open space, noise and safety. These “elements” are updated periodically; the elements for land use and mobility are currently in the process of being updated. 

The General Plan also includes specific plan areas for which these policies are
intended. These are the main corridors of our community, such as West Gateway,
Fair Oaks Avenue, East Colorado Boulevard and North Lake Avenue. The Central
District is the largest of these specific plan areas. 

Look inside this special edition for more details.

Guiding Principles

Pasadena’s General Plan was written based on seven guiding principles, which 
affirm the values of our community. One is not more important than another; they are all relevant and work together. These principles continue to guide the 2004 update of the General Plan.

  • Growth will be targeted to serve community needs and enhance the 
     quality of life.
  • Change will be harmonized to preserve Pasadena’s historic character 
     and environment. 
  • Economic vitality will be promoted to provide jobs, services, revenues 
     and opportunities. 
  • Pasadena will be promoted as a healthy family community. 
  • Pasadena will be a city where people can circulate without cars.
  • Pasadena will be promoted as a cultural, scientific, corporate, 
     entertainment and educational center for the region. 
  • Community participa-tion will be a permanent part of achieving a greater city. 
 

Defining the Documents

THE FOUR PLANNING DOCUMENTS work together to establish standards that 
guide the density and scale of new development to ensure compatibility with existing streetscapes, target growth toward transit centers and commercial corridors and control traffic impacts on residential areas. 

Pasadena Playhouse Courtyard

What kinds of buildings should be constructed in Pasadena and where should they be built? That’s where the Land Use Element comes in. It establishes goals and policies to guide long-term decision-making regarding what types of projects can be built throughout Pasadena. This updated element continues to focus growth and development into specific plan areas and away from residential neighborhoods while creating pedestrian-friendly mixed-use environments in downtown areas that are at or near bus and Metro Gold Line stops. The 2004 update does not propose any major changes to the 1994 version with the exception of land use in the Central District.

Pasadena’s Central District generally includes Old Pasadena, the Civic Center, the Playhouse District, South Lake and all of Arroyo Parkway. The Central District Specific Plan establishes a development policy for all properties located in the district’s nearly 1,000 acres. More than four years were spent developing the plan, which includes about 21 million square feet of commercial space and 4,000 residential units. The plan provides guidelines for creating pedestrian walkways, transit-oriented development and public spaces that will bring a real sense of urban vitality to downtown Pasadena while preserving architectural resources and distinctive residential neighborhoods.

Pasadena ARTS bus

The Mobility Element will continue to emphasize ways for us to get around – 
without our cars. That’s a real challenge, considering that Pasadena is located in Los Angeles County, one of the busiest economic regions in a nation where most people get in their cars to travel only a couple of blocks. Ongoing growth in the greater L.A. area will continue to affect this community because Pasadena is a regional center of economic activity. The Mobility Element update continues to guide the expansion of multimodal corridors that support population 
and employment growth and protect residential 
neighborhoods from major traffic.

Strolling on South Lake

What about building heights, sidewalk widths, parking locations and sign placements? In addition to the three General Plan update documents, the Zoning Code is being revised. Zoning is a tool to protect public health and safety by guiding land use. Many 
of us have been to unattractive communities where a carwash is next to a private home next to an auto wrecking yard next to a fast-food restaurant. Pasadena’s Zoning Code establishes rules and regulations for implementing land use plans and policies included in the General Plan.

Public Art at One Colorado

These four documents require a state-mandated Environmental Impact Report 
that analyses the impacts that proposed projects may have on noise, traffic and other environmental issues and suggests way to lessen these impacts. One EIR will cover 
all four documents because they have so much in common. Community input was encouraged during the EIR public comment period, which ended Aug. 23.


You may access all of the documents and the EIR by visiting www.cityofpasadena.net and clicking on General Plan Update or going to Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St.