April 22, 2026

Join us for the first Follow the Clucking Money workshop!

Cracking open Petaluma’s budget, one egg at a time!

Learn what really hatches inside the city budget—revenues, expenditures, and the choices that shape our community…

March 25, 2026

Petaluma, under new state laws, has been posting lowered traffic limits in downtown and near schools. While this is a good start, traffic speeds are more effectively—and safely—reduced by how streets are designed and how drivers perceive a safe and appropriate speed…

March 11, 2026

Last fall, Urban Chat collected over 300 signatures on petitions to renew the sales tax that is an essential funding source for the SMART train.  Our signatures were part over 72,000 signatures collected in Sonoma and Marin Counties, easily qualifying for the June 2 election.  Now, the task before us is to ensure the ballot measure passes.

Dennis Rosatti of Rosatti Consulting will speak with Urban Chat’s Know Before You Grow about how the campaign…

February 25, 2026

Petaluma landscape architect Cinda Gilliland has planned a deep dive into the work of pioneer urbanist William H. (Holly) Whyte.

After a brief bio on Whyte, offered by Dave Alden, we’ll watch a sampling of Whyte’s 1980 movie of New Yorkers using, or misusing, Manhattan public plazas, followed by an example from Gilliland of how Whyte’s ideas were essential in the reconstruction of… 

December 10, 2025

Author Carter Lavin will speak with Know Before You Grow about his recently published book If You Want to Win, You've Got to Fight: A Guide to Effective Transportation Advocacy. Lavin will talk about how to advocate for all aspects of improved mobility from protected bike lanes to more useful transit.…

November 12, 2025

Part 2 of our Strong Towns series features two additional Not Just Bikes videos that take a deeper look at what makes cities financially sustainable. Learn how Strong Towns principles might apply right here in Petaluma…

October 22, 2025

Petaluma is a town full of strong opinions—and that’s a strength. But how do we turn those voices into shared purpose? Author Ryan Short joins Know Before You Grow to discuss The Civic Brand. He explores what builds trust in public engagement—and what erodes it…

October 8, 2025

In this session, we explored how city design, transportation, and development choices shape a community’s long-term health. Featuring short, engaging videos from Not Just Bikes—created in collaboration with Strong Towns—the discussion connected these big-picture ideas to Petaluma’s own path toward sustainable, financially resilient growth…

August 27, 2025

Join Urban Chat’s Know Before You Grow forum as political consultant Dennis Rosatti discusses the future of the North Bay’s community rail system, the coalition behind the proposed SMART Initiative, and how Petalumans can help keep trains running…

July 9, 2025

Like many California cities, Petaluma faces complex land-use and transportation challenges in the decades ahead. Finding solutions that are broadly supported by the community may require new approaches…

June 11, 2025

Join us to hear from Ali Gaylord, Assistant Housing Director for the City of Oakland and Petaluma resident, as she unpacks how local, state, and federal dynamics are shaping the future of affordable housing…

April 9, 2025

In the expectation that the Downtown Overlay will be approved by the City Council two evenings earlier, the proposed hotel developer and operator will talk to Urban Chat about the next step, the anticipated April 22 Planning…

March 12, 2024

Living car-free is a goal for many in Petaluma. Culdesac gave the residents of Tempe, Arizona a chance to reach this goal. So have other places like Barcelona's Super Blocks and the under-construction Merwede District in the Netherlands. Come hear a veteran of people-first developments…

February 26, 2025

As Petaluma seeks to enhance the downtown retail and considers zoning to bring more residents downtown, Jason Reyes of Calson Management will join us to discuss how he views senior housing in the heart of Petaluma.

January 22, 2025

Join Know Before You Grow in learning about how parking alternatives can result in better outcomes, outcomes that other cities are already accomplishing. Learn from the lessons offered by parking guru Donald Shoup and the Parking Reform Network founder Tony Jordan…

October 23, 2024

Join Petaluma Mayor Kevin McDonnell and Calum Weeks, Policy Director of Generation Housing (Gen H) in a discussion of the affordability and availability of housing in Sonoma County and Petaluma….

October 9, 2025

Petaluma's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) is up for renewal in this year's election. Urban sprawl is one of the biggest challenges facing modern societies: Sprawl results in the loss of valuable agricultural land we all rely on for our food; sprawl means…

September 17, 2024

After a dozen years of Petaluma Urban Chat educating about and advocating for better land use practices in our community, how does the Land Use Policy Framework for the upcoming General Plan update reflect our efforts?