UCLA Researchers to Present Findings on Historical Racial Segregation in Pasadena at Wednesday’s 710 Advisory Meeting

The City’s Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group will hear a presentation on how local freeway development in past decades contributed to racial segregation in Pasadena when it meets Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber.

Researchers from the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge will deliver its final report titled “Racial Segregation in Pasadena: The Role of Freeway Development and Institutional Mechanisms,” which documents how the construction of the 210 Freeway and SR-710 stub affected demographic patterns in the city from 1950 to 1980.

According to presentation slides included in the agenda packet, the UCLA study found that approximately 1,800 housing units (28%) were lost in freeway-impacted areas, with communities of color disproportionately affected by displacement.

“Pre-Freeway policies set the stage for racialized displacement,” states one slide, noting that “Federal redlining maps labeled POC neighborhoods as ‘undesirable,’ reducing investment.” The research also found that “Freeway routes were often chosen to run through redlined areas.”

The 710 Advisory Group will also review an updated project calendar that outlines the three-phase master planning process extending through February 2026. The project is currently transitioning from Phase 1 (Creative Analysis) to Phase 2 (Options & Engage).

City staff will provide updates on the rescheduled community engagement workshop, now set for April 12, 2025, which was postponed from January due to the city’s emergency response to the Eaton fire.

Also on the agenda is setting a meeting date for the Restorative Justice Standing Committee, which was appointed at the November Advisory Group meeting but has yet to convene despite multiple scheduling attempts.

The meeting will include a preview of a new promotional video for the Reconnecting Pasadena 710 Project, which features interviews with Mayor Victor Gordo and other city officials.

The public can attend in person at City Hall or join virtually via www.cityofpasadena.net/cczoom or by telephone at 1-669-444-9171 using Meeting ID 161 482 446. Public comments can be submitted prior to the meeting by emailing rumartinez@cityofpasadena.net.

Project information is available on the city’s website and through the newly established project email at 710reconnecting@cityofpasadena.net.