Upcoming events
Join us at our upcoming forums, workshops, and community gatherings. Urban Chat events are open to everyone and are a chance to learn, share ideas, and connect with neighbors who care about Petaluma’s future.
Missed an event you really wanted to attend? Watch a recording!
(Recordings are posted a day or two after the event.)
Monthly Meet-Up: October
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company!
An Evening of Climate Action Conversation with Carl Elefante + Author-Led Community Walks
Purchase tickets on Ticket Tailor here.
An Evening of Climate Action Conversation
On Monday, October 26, Carl Elefante will speak in Petaluma about his book "Going for Zero: Decarbonizing the Built Environment on the Path to Our Urban Future". Elefante is a Fellow with the American Institute of Architects and also a past president of the organization. He's widely recognized for coining the phrase "The greenest building is one that is already built." He has long practiced architecture at the intersection of historic preservation and sustainable design.
He will talk about the future of architecture in a zero carbon future and also about the role of urban planning. Elefante is a member of the Congress for the New Urbanism.
The presentation will be followed by a robust question and answer session.
The event will be at the Polly Klaas Theater at 417 Western Ave, Petaluma. The evening will begin at 7:00pm.
Discounts for students and Urban Chat Members available.
Hosted by Petaluma Urban Chat.
Sponsored by Rebuilding Together Petaluma, Healthy Petaluma.
Monthly Meet-Up: September
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company!
Petaluma Transit Scavenger Hunt!
Petaluma Urban Chat and Transbay Coalition, in partnership with Seamless Bay Area, are thrilled to be hosting a Petaluma Transit Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, September 19th from 1 pm to 4 pm. Explore Petaluma, meet fellow transit lovers and advocates and learn more about what's going on with Transit in Petaluma…
Monthly Meet-Up: August
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company!
Petaluma Transit Workshop
Curious about Petaluma Transit? Join new Transit Manager, Maria Arce, to learn about the basic elements of transit planning, and provide feedback on recent and upcoming transit changes.
Monthly Meet-Up: July
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company!
Follow the Clucking Money Series Workshop #2
Follow the Clucking Money!
The Revenue Nest: Where the cluck does the money come from? Let’s crack it open!
At our first workshop, we cracked open the spending side of Petaluma's budget — all those tough trade-offs…
Learn more and RSVP
Monthly Meet-Up: June
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company!
The Vacancy Project Organizing Workshop
Come to our organizing meeting and help draft our policy platform!
June 24, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Della Fattoria, 143 Petaluma Boulevard North
This event is co-sponsored by Petaluma Urban Chat and Renaissance Petaluma.
For more information, contact TheVacancyProject@urbanchat.org.
Learn more and RSVP
Monthly Meet-Up: May
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company!
Free Range Kentucky
Would you like to be footloose and fancy-free when you roam Kentucky Street? Could a pedestrian-friendly Kentucky Street work in Petaluma? Let’s discuss.
Join Urban Chat to learn how a proposed pilot program to pedestrianize Kentucky Street and Fourth Street on Sundays could benefit our community, businesses, and environment.
Zoom link here.
Monthly Meet-Up: April
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company!
Follow the Clucking Money Series Workshop #1
Follow the Clucking Money!
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.
Come for the free pizza, stay for the yolks…
Learn more and RSVP
Finding Partners in What We Do
Join Urban Chat’s Know Before You Grow forum for a conversation about the StrongTowns Local Conversations program. We'll talk about how we might gain from aligning with other groups who share the mission like Urban Chat's…
Zoom link.
Helping Make Petaluma’s Streets Safer for Everyone
Join Urban Chat’s Know Before You Grow forum for a conversation with street design expert Jeremy Chrzan of Toole Design Group about how better street design practices can improve traffic safety and what this means for Petaluma…
Zoom link.
Helping with the Next Step for SMART
Join Urban Chat’s Know Before You Grow forum for a conversation with political consultant Dennis Rosatti and others about the upcoming SMART Initiative election and what Urban Chat members can do to help keep the trains on the tracks.
Zoom link.
Monthly Meet-Up: February
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company!
What Would Holly Whyte Do with Putnam Plaza?
We’ll begin our 2026 schedule with a much-anticipated forum on public places! Petaluma landscape architect Cinda Gilliland has planned a deep dive into the work of pioneer urbanist William H. (Holly) Whyte…
Zoom link.
Monthly Meet-Up: January 2026
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company…
Monthly Meet-Up: December 2025
We’ll meet a week earlier than usual this month, since Christmas falls on the fourth Thursday this year!
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company…
Fighting for Better Transportation: A Conversation with Carter Lavin
Author Carter Lavin will speak with Know Before You Grow about his soon-to-be-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…
Monthly Meet-Up: November 2025
We’ll meet a week earlier than usual this month, since Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday…as always!
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company…
Digging Deeper on the Strong Towns philosophy on land use
The conversation about StrongTowns that began at the October 8 Know Before You Grow session will be continued. Two more Not Just Bike videos on StrongTowns will be shown, followed by a conversation about how the StrongTowns thinking might apply to Petaluma…
Monthly Meet-Up: October 2025
Join us on the fourth Thursday at noon at Aqus Café.
No agenda, no pressure—just conversation, questions, and good company…
The Civic Brand: What can Petaluma learn about effective public engagement?
Ryan Short will join us to talk about his book The Civic Brand which was released on September 30.
From the book blurb: The Civic Brand: The Power & Responsibility of Place is a bold and practical book that challenges conventional thinking about city-building, tourism, economic development, and community engagement…
Strong Towns: A different approach to urban planning
Join us for an exploration of the Strong Towns philosophy of urban planning.
Without giving too much away, Strong Towns fosters financial resilience and long-term prosperity by promoting incremental development, human-scaled streets, and transparent local government, replacing unsustainable post-WWII suburban development models…
Better Petaluma Film Festival (Copy)
Join us for an inspiring evening of short documentary films that highlight how Petaluma can thrive through smart growth, sustainable design, and innovative urban planning.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. / Show begins at 7:00 p.m. / Hank's after the show!