Weekly updates
Welcome to our weekly update, your go-to source for what’s happening in land use and urban planning in Petaluma. Stay informed on current projects, upcoming events, and ways to get involved.
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Week of May 12, 2025
Congress for the New Urbanism in Petaluma?, Appellation Hotel hearing, and the overlay referendum
Congress for the New Urbanism in Petaluma? – In the last few days, I finalized my decision to attend the annual conferences of StrongTowns and the Congress for the New Urbanism…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of May 5, 2025
The Late Pope on cars, car use in the U.S., and what if we limit cars?
I’ll skip mentioning the Downtown Overlay this week. Ditto for City Council decorum, although I’ll certainly attend this evening’s Council meeting and eagerly await a resolution on decorum scheduled for the Council meeting of the 19th…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of April 28, 2025
“Don’t Be a Jerk”, “Abundance”, lunch?
“Don’t Be a Jerk” – As most readers know, StrongTowns is a national nonprofit that advocates for financially sustainable urban planning…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of April 21, 2025
ATP & Overlay comments, Appellation forum debrief, lunch?
ATP & Overlay Comments – The most significant urban planning event of the week will be this evening’s Council meeting. In addition to the anticipated second reading of the Downtown Overlay Ordinance…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of April 14, 2025
Land-Use designations, Appellation Hotel KBYG Forum, “Life Between Buildings”, lunch?
Land-Use Designations – The big land-use event of the week will be this evening's reconsideration by the City Council of the proposed land-use designations for the General Plan update. After several months of consideration, the General Plan Advisory Committee settled on its proposed land-use designations in January…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of April 7, 2025
Know Before You Grow/Appellation Hotel, book clubs, lunch(?)
Know Before You Grow/Appellation Hotel: As everyone here should already know, the KBYG forum this week will be with the intended developer and operator of the proposed Appellation Hotel. More details…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of March 31, 2025
Writing from the Road
I have nothing to share this week. Literally, nothing. I’ve been travelling since last Monday, visiting places that offer nothing to an urbanist mind…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of March 24, 2025
Know Before You Grow/Appellation Hotel, book clubs, and burrito outcomes
Know Before You Grow/Appellation Hotel: As most readers know, the City Council revised the proposed Downtown Overlay ordinance during their March 17 meeting. As a result…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of March 17, 2025
Overlay Advocacy (yay and nay), zoning to be car-free, and birthday burritos
Overlay Advocacy (Yay and Nay) - A theme I've heard from many this week is frustration that a broader range of community voices isn't present in the Council Chambers during Downtown Overlay agenda items..
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of March 10, 2025
Car-free lives (!), housing reversal, and birthday burritos (!)
Car-Free Lives – The Know Before You Grow forum with Anders Engnell, the former Director of Planning and Construction for Culdesac Tempe, is now only days away…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of March 3, 2025
Land-Use designations and car-free living
Land-Use Designations – One of the more important tasks performed by the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) was the determination of Land-Use Designations, establishing which zones will apply where and therefore where growth may occur…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of February 24, 2025
Calendar notes for the week of February 24, 2025.
Monday, February 24 (tonight!) - Petaluma City Council - Among other agenda items, the Council will conduct the first hearing on the Final Environmental Impact Report and draft Ordinance for the proposed Downtown Overlay.
The meeting will be convened at 5:00pm. Further details, including the agenda and Zoom link, are on the Urban Chat calendar (link above).
Wednesday, February 26 (this week) – Petaluma Urban Chat – With the Film Festival complete but many more Urban Chat events on the horizon, the board will have another monthly board meeting. There will be discussions about all Urban Chat’s planned 2025 activities.
The meeting will be convened at 5:30pm. The agenda and location will be on the Urban Chat calendar (link above) as the date nears.
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of February 17, 2025
Better Cities Film Festival (yay!) and the Los Angeles fires (boo!)
Better Cities Film Festival – Despite yet another atmospheric river, an estimated 185 to 200 folks attended the second Better Cities Film Festival last Wednesday at the Boulevard Cinemas…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of February 10, 2025
Better Cities Film Festival (!), City goals, IncDev, and Donald Shoup
Better Cities Film Festival – After months of anticipation, the second Better Cities Film Festival is here. Wednesday evening at 6:00, we’ll begin assembling in the lobby of the Boulevard Cinemas for conversation…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of February 3, 2025
Film Festival tickets!, IncDev, sponsorships for 2025, City goals, and lunch?
Last week was a good week for Urban Chat. With the momentum created by the Know Before You Grow forum of the week before, perhaps half of the comments at Monday’s Council downtown parking workshop…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of January 27, 2025
Quiz answer, parking advocacy, Annual Meeting, Film Festival tickets, sponsorships for 2025, IncDev, and sunch?
There's a long list of topics this week. I'll jump in and try to move quickly.
Quiz Answer - Richard Tippett of Napa came closest to the right answer to the quiz I posed last week, “What is the reference to Petaluma in the New York Times article on parking reform?” …
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Week of January 20, 2025
Plans for 2025!, KBYG on parking reform, ruminations on Know Before You Grow, and lunch?
Now, the new year is truly speeding up. The February 12 Film Festival tickets are on sale, and the list of films has been posted…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of January 13, 2025
KBYG on parking reform, Urban Chat Annual Meeting, Incremental development!, SMART Oversight Committee, and lunch?
The holidays are truly behind us, I have only one more load of Christmas decorations to carry to the attic and the Urban Chat calendar is quickly filling…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of January 6, 2025
Calendar notes for the week of January 6, 2025.
Welcome to 2025! Petaluma Urban Chat is planning a year of action as the City of Petaluma looks forward to a year of important decisions. Please be part of both.
On that topic, last week was a great week for welcoming new and returning members to Urban Chat. The membership door will remain wide open as we begin the New Year…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of December 30, 2024
Calendar notes for the week of December 30, 2024.
We’ve reached the final calendar email of 2024. The entire Urban Chat team appreciates your readership over the past year. We also appreciate those who have offered thanks for how these emails make the public land-use process a little less daunting. Our door is always open to ideas about how we can do even better.
There are zero additions to the calendar this week, not surprising for the heart of the holiday season. In keeping with the short week, this update will also be short, with only a single story from me.
Continue reading the weekly update here.