city

Pasadena

city Details

Year Incorporated

1886

Population

137,122

Attributes

Pasadena has many protections in place for its historic resources. The city became a Certified Local Government in 1986, indicating its strong commitment to a professionalized preservation program.

Pasadena has a strong historic preservation ordinance and has designated over 100 local landmarks and several historic districts.

The city does not require owner consent to designate landmarks. In addition to designated landmarks, the city extends preservation protections and review to local resources listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Incentives include the popular Mills Acts property tax abatement program, as well as parking requirement waivers and variances for historic resources aimed at facilitating their adaptive reuse.

Pasadena has created several context statements and related surveys for various areas and building types throughout the city.

Most of the following resources are specific to Pasadena. For general resources related to local preservation and our Preservation Report Card, please visit our Report Card microsite.

Historic Preservation Ordinance

Landmark Designation Process

Mills Act Application Process

Historic Resources Surveys

Design Guidelines

Guide to CEQA (Conservancy website)

If any of these links are broken or incorrect, or if you would like to suggest other resources for preservation in Pasadena, please let us know by emailing info@laconservancy.org.

A+

The scoring details for this community appear below.

Preservation Report Card

The scoring details for this community appear below. To see scores for all communities, compare specific communities and categories.

  • Total Score

    240

  • Historic Preservation Ordinance (150) / Honorary Ordinance (10)

    150

  • Dedicated Historic Preservation Commission (5)

    5

  • Dedicated Preservation Staff (15)

    15

  • Total Score

    240

  • Historic Preservation Ordinance (150) / Honorary Ordinance (10)

    150

  • Dedicated Historic Preservation Commission (5)

    5

  • Dedicated Preservation Staff (15)

    15

  • Ability to Designate Historic Districts (15)

    15

  • Owner Consent Not Required for Designation (10)

    10

  • Active Landmark Designation (at least annually) (5)

    5

  • Survey of Historic Resources: Citywide (15) / Partial (10)

    10

  • Survey Updated Within Past 5 Years (5)

    5

  • Mills Act Incentive Program (10)

    10

  • Additional Incentives (5)

    5

  • Certified Local Government (5)

    5

  • Historic Preservation Element or Plan (5)

    5

  • Extra Credit (1-25)

    0

Featured Places

Place

Airform "Bubble House"

Place

Ambassador College

Place

ArtCenter College of Design

Place

Beckman Auditorium, Caltech
Target

Place

Robinson’s/Target

Place

Airform "Bubble House"

Place

Ambassador College

Place

ArtCenter College of Design

Place

Beckman Auditorium, Caltech
Target

Place

Robinson’s/Target

Community Resources

Get Involved

If you'd like to get involved in preservation in Pasadena, we suggest the following resources:

City Representative

Leon White
Principal Planner
lwhite@cityofpasadena.net
(626) 744-7346

Local Group

Pasadena Heritage

Visit their website to learn more about their work and find direct contact information.

If any of this information is out of date, or to suggest additional ways to get involved, please contact us at info@laconservancy.org or (213) 623-2489.