Past events and recordings
Catch up on Petaluma Urban Chat events you may have missed — and explore curated videos that highlight our four pillars: housing, transportation, city finances, and climate action.
Use the category filter to find what you’re looking for. Select ‘event’ to see recordings of Urban Chat past events.
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Carter Lavin on Effective Transportation Advocacy
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.…
The Civic Brand and how Petaluma engages
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…
The SMART Initiative: What's at stake for the North Bay
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…
New problem-solving tools
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…
The Fresno Miracle: What’s happened since
October 11, 2023
The Petaluma Better Cities Film Festival concluded with a screening of "The Fresno Miracle," a 2012 film about what the people of Fresno have done to preserve the City's agricultural land, revitalize its downtown, and stop the sprawl that was bankrupting their city. Amid Fresno's progress and setbacks, the rudiment of a blueprint for sustainable action has emerged…