AUTUMN 2004

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

Central District 101: Planning for a Dynamic Future

CENTRAL DISTRICT SPECIFIC PLAN has been long awaited by some Pasadena residents, but many may not have heard of it before. If you consider 
yourself among the latter, here’s your opportunity to learn more about it

A dynamic downtown 
The plan defines the future of South Lake, the Playhouse District, Old Pasadena, the Civic Center and Arroyo Parkway. New development and adaptive reuse are transforming the Central District into the dynamic and vibrant area envisioned by participants in the 1994 General Plan update.

This area is the heart of Pasadena. It is our vibrant urban core, attracting visitors from throughout the region to its shopping, dining, cultural attractions and entertainment opportunities. The Central District is also home to half of the jobs in Pasadena and the majority of new housing development. It’s not uncommon to find residents who live downtown, work downtown and spend evenings and weekends frequenting the many restaurant and entertainment offerings – all without getting in a car!

Over the past five years, hundreds of residents, business owners and community leaders came together during a series of community forums, focus groups, commission meetings and working sessions to identify issues, establish a common vision and help shape the plan.

The result is a set of standards that maintain the distinctive urban character of Pasadena while preserving and complementing historic buildings, providing a broad array of office, retail and residential space, supporting cultural opportunities and encouraging walking, bicycling, bus and Metro Gold Line use. Rules for new development are consistent with traditional development patterns (major development along Colorado Boulevard and minor development on other streets) and require much of the new development to be near Metro Gold Line stations. Historic neighborhoods are protected by requiring new development adjacent to residential neighborhoods to be compatible with historic architecture. 

Implementing the vision
The 1994 Land Use Element of the General Plan established caps, or limits, on the amount of development that is allowable within the Central District. It called for no more than 5,095 new residential units and 6.2 million square feet of new retail and commercial space in downtown areas. Those caps and standards remain in place today. Since 1994 about half of the allowable downtown residential units have been built and 25% of allowable commercial space has been developed.

Land use regulations guide the type of development (residential, retail, office, etc.) and the size of buildings that can be built on specific parcels. Floor area ratio, or FAR, is a term that is not familiar to many Pasadenans. FAR determines the maximum bulk of a building and is calculated by dividing the total number of square feet of a proposed building by the total number of square feet of the lot on which it sits. For example, a building with 20,000 square feet of enclosed floor area on a lot of 10,000 square feet has a floor area ratio of 2.0. The maximum FAR allowable in the Central District is 3.0 and the lowest is 1.0.

The “Pasadena Look”
It is important for Pasadena’s urban core to experience growth while maintaining its appeal. FAR regulations distribute new development throughout the Central District, focus higher density development around transit centers and require new buildings to match the unique scale and character of the district.

Additional standards addressing open space, sidewalk widths, building setbacks and 
building heights control the massing of buildings and the character of the street.

Beyond the size of buildings, their “look” is directed by urban design guidelines. These 
regulations require high-quality construction, attractive façades, lush landscaping, interesting courtyards and plazas, outstanding visual details and carefully planned parking areas.

Traffic!
More and more, people in the Central District are getting around without cars, but traffic remains a big issue. To direct traffic away from residential neighborhoods, the Mobility Element requires new development in the Central District to be built near Metro Gold Line stations and major corridors such as Colorado Boulevard and Lake Avenue. New development in these areas encourages people to get around without cars – by walking, bicycling, taking the bus and riding the light rail.

Ready to learn more?
Visit www.cityofpasadena.net and click on General Plan Update and then on Central District Specific Plan or stop by the reference desk at Pasadena Central Library. Either way, you’ll find plenty of maps, photographs and more detailed information. You’ll be an expert in no time!