South Pasadena Slow Streets

This three-phase project dealt with the design of a demonstration project to turn Mission Street, the historic main street of South Pasadena, into a pedestrian-focused and traffic-calmed corridor. In the first phase of the project, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed alternative roadway layouts assuming a four-to-three road diet, creating new spaces for outdoor dining, public spaces, public art and other interventions. In the second phase, we supported the City to purchase new materials to conduct the demonstration, including pots, landscaping, and new parklet flooring. In the third phase, we designed a new, consistent and historically-sensitive parklet design which would upgrade the current experience. Significant study was undertaken about how to balance roadway safety and aesthetic concerns for the parklet edge.