Pasadena Planners Open First Environmental Justice Element to Resident Input

The City of Pasadena Planning Department will lead a neighborhood walking tour Tuesday, Sept. 15, gathering resident accounts of pollution, housing and park access for the city’s first Environmental Justice Element.

The event, which the department calls a Neighborhood Walk and Roll, runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and begins at Villa Parke Community Center, 363 E. Villa St., according to a Sept. 3 news release from the city. Registration is available at bit.ly/EJwalkshop1.

The Environmental Justice Element will be a new chapter of Pasadena’s General Plan. According to the Planning and Community Development Department’s program page, the element will comply with California Senate Bill 1000, the Planning for Healthy Communities Act, enacted in 2016, which requires cities to identify environmental justice communities and develop goals, policies, implementation programs and priorities addressing disparities across specific environmental justice topics.

The department lists six topics for the element: pollution exposure; safe, sanitary and affordable housing; healthy and affordable food; public facilities and programs; active living and physical activity; and inclusive and meaningful engagement.

The city has drawn preliminary boundaries for its environmental justice communities using pollution and socioeconomic data, including the state’s CalEnviroScreen tool. Seven census tracts concentrated in Northwest Pasadena are identified. The area is bounded on the south by the 210 freeway, extends as far north as Woodbury Road in certain locations, east to Los Robles Avenue and portions of Lake Avenue, and west to Arroyo Boulevard.

Data shows that area and its residents experience relatively high transportation-related air pollution, lead exposure and economic burdens, the department said on its program page. The department said the preliminary boundaries will be adjusted and shaped by community input to better align with the lived experiences of community members.

Three more engagement events follow: a second Neighborhood Walk and Roll Saturday, Oct. 3, at Robinson Park Recreation Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave.; an open house and resource fair there Thursday, Oct. 15; and a virtual community meeting Wednesday, Oct. 21.

The City Council authorized the City Manager last November to contract with Dudek for consulting services and Day One for community engagement to assist in preparing the element.

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Villa Parke Community Center, 363 E. Villa St., Pasadena. Register at bit.ly/EJwalkshop1. For more information visit bit.ly/PasadenaEJelement or contact EJElement@cityofpasadena.net. For accessibility information or to request an accommodation, contact CSC@CityOfPasadena.net or call (626) 744-7311.