The city’s ambitious planning to transform the former 710 freeway corridor could create a cutting-edge sustainable community powered by waste heat from sewage and the earth itself.
Consultants from Perkins Eastman will be presenting strategies Wednesday night, at a meeting of the Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group, that would make the area “net-zero ready.” The approach leverages novel technologies at a scale unprecedented in Pasadena.
The most striking proposals, shown in a preliminary report, center on district energy systems. These networks would connect multiple buildings to share heating and cooling through thermal microgrids.
One option recovers heat from municipal wastewater. Another taps the constant temperature underground through geothermal wells.
Ground-source heat pumps could cut HVAC energy use by 20 to 50 percent, the report said. They would reduce carbon emissions by 30 to 50 percent.
The precedent exists, said the report, citing Vancouver’s Southeast False Creek neighborhood that has operated a sewage heat recovery system since 2009. It now serves 47 buildings with more than 7 million square feet.
Stanford University slashed greenhouse gas emissions by 68 percent with a similar approach in 2015.
“These are our ‘game changers,'” the report said. Each technology would require additional technical study in subsequent phases.
The sustainability strategies aim to support Pasadena’s Climate Action Plan goals, addressing decarbonization, resiliency and water resource management.
The most fundamental approach focuses on passive design. Buildings would use tight envelopes, properly sized openings and strategic shading. Street orientation and an urban forest would naturally keep structures cool.
All buildings would be all-electric, the report showed. With no existing infrastructure on site, planners from Perkins Eastman recommend making that decision now.
The area faces significant environmental challenges, said the report. Residents and schools near Interstate 710 experience elevated diesel particulates and nitrogen oxides. These pollutants link to asthma, heart disease and developmental risks in children.
Recommendations include increasing distance between pollution sources and sensitive uses. Vegetation barriers would filter and disperse pollutants.
Chronic highway noise from heavy truck traffic affects health. Planners propose positioning less noise-sensitive uses closer to the interchange.
The plan targets 20 to 24 percent of land area for dedicated green and park spaces. Tree canopy could lower local temperatures by up to 7 degrees.
Water strategies include greywater reuse systems treating wastewater for non-potable uses. A district system could treat up to 205,000 gallons daily.
Rooftop solar, battery storage and microgrids would facilitate onsite power generation. The city has already conducted a microgrid study for emergency shelters.
Federal and state incentives are available for many strategies. Payback periods run 10 to 15 years.
The 710 Advisory Group will review revisions based on Wednesday’s input. The Environmental Advisory Committee will see the presentation on Dec. 9. Final incorporation into the vision plan draft will happen in January 2025.
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