Pasadena, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Chapter 17.30, Central District Specific Plan
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 7419, effective February 26, 2024
- Ground floor height
- 15 ft minimum, 12 ft for setback residential
- Transparency requirement
- 70% ground floor, 30% overall facade minimum
- Wall/fence height cap
- 48 inches maximum within the street setback
- Colorado Blvd shade structures
- 7 to 10 ft projection, 70% of frontage
- Permit trigger
- Major construction of 25,000+ sq ft needs CUP
Summary
Pasadena's Central District Specific Plan, Municipal Code Chapter 17.30, sets mandatory downtown design standards for new construction across Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District, Civic Center, and South Lake. It fixes ground floor height, window transparency, shade structures, and wall and fence dimensions, and controls over the general Zoning Code wherever the two conflict.
B.Ground Floor Design. ... 2.Minimum Height. Buildings shall have a minimum ground floor height of 15 feet, measured from the sidewalk elevation closest to the primary entrance to the second story floor or roof of a one-story building; see Figure CDSP-22.a.Exception. Ground floor residential uses with a setback of 10 feet or greater shall have a minimum ground floor height of 12 feet. ... C.Transparency. 1.Windows & Doors. Street-facing façades shall incorporate glass providing views into work, display, sales, lobby, or similar active areas. The minimum transparency requirement is 70 percent for ground floors and 30 percent for the overall façade. For residential units, transparency requirements are reduced to 15 percent each for ground floor and the overall façade. ... G.Walls & Fences. 1.Walls & Fences. Freestanding walls, fences, and raised/landscape planters are permitted within the street setback.a.Walls and fences shall have a maximum height of 48 inches above the sidewalk elevation.b.Walls and fences taller than 30 inches shall be a minimum of 50 percent transparent and set back a minimum of 18 inches from the sidewalk line, separated by planted area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
010). 020. The design rules bind every qualifying project. 070 (Frontage) requires a minimum ground floor height of 15 feet from the sidewalk to the second floor, reduced to 12 feet only where ground floor residential units sit back 10 feet or more. Street-facing facades need 70 percent window transparency at the ground floor and 30 percent overall, dropping to 15 percent each for residential frontages; tinted or mirrored glass is prohibited outright, and blank street-facing walls cannot exceed 20 feet. On the north side of Colorado Boulevard, shade structures projecting 7 to 10 feet over the sidewalk are mandatory for at least 70 percent of the building frontage unless an 8-foot arcade substitutes. G). D. The chapter was adopted by Ordinance No. 7419 on February 26, 2024.
Violations & Fines
Projects inside the CDSP that do not meet these standards cannot secure the land use permit or Building Permit needed to proceed: Section 17.30.030 ties every allowed use to Table CDSP-1's permit requirement and routes major construction of 25,000 square feet or more through a Conditional Use Permit under Section 17.61.050.J.2. Existing development made nonconforming by the CDSP falls under the nonconforming-use provisions of Section 17.71, and city staff review compliance before any building permit issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Central District Specific Plan?
How tall must a downtown ground floor be?
Does the CDSP require windows on downtown storefronts?
Can I build a tall fence along a downtown sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
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