June 11, 2009

CITY OF PASADENA HONORED BY PLANNING ASSOCIATION
 

Three initiatives of the Pasadena Planning and Development Department have won awards by a branch of the American Planning Association.
The city of Pasadena’s online Green Training Program and its Green City Action Plan each will be recognized Wednesday, June 17, for a Special Award of Merit for Innovation in Community Planning by the Los Angeles Section of the American Planning Association. Last month the training program won a Green Leadership Award from the county of Los Angeles.

The city also received the Planning Landmark Award for its Cultural Resources of the Recent Past 1935-1965, a study that includes a narrative report about the development of Pasadena during this period, an inventory of buildings and their noteworthy architects, and nominations of two historic districts and five individual houses designed by the architectural firm Buff & Hensman for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The study helps property owners, history buffs, preservationists and city decision makers identify the most significant mid-twentieth-century buildings in the city.

The Green City Action Plan, created in 2006, is based on the United Nations Green Cities Declaration and Urban Environmental Accords, which were developed as actions cities can take as first steps in achieving urban sustainability.

Pasadena’s action plan is a comprehensive blueprint for environmental stewardship covering a wide range of topics and more than 70 initiatives, including actions to incorporate sustainable planning and transportation in the city’s major planning documents; means to convert the city’s vehicles to a green fleet; reducing the city’s reliance on coal-generated electricity and imported water; requiring environmentally sound buildings; reducing waste destined for landfills and removing toxins from the workplace.

Pasadena’s online Green Training Program was created to guide city employees, residents and anyone else with Internet access through the themes of Pasadena’s Green City Action Plan: energy, waste reduction, urban design, urban nature, transportation, environmental health and water conservation. Each section provides information on the city’s environmental goals, programs and services, plus tips, resource links and a glossary. The training helps stakeholders appreciate the city’s challenges and programs that help mitigate the effects of urban living on the natural environment.

The public is invited to LA-APA’s annual awards ceremony Wednesday, June 17, at 5 p.m. at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, part of the newly renovated Pasadena Convention Center – a state-of-the-art “green” facility designed to meet the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver certification specifications from the United States Green Building Council. Details are at www.la-apa.org.

For more information call (626) 744-6729.