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 June 30, 2025
Know Before You Grow on July 9, benches, StrongTowns versus Congress for the New Urbanism, selflessness
Not much is happening on the urbanist front in Petaluma this week, which is probably fine as it's a short week. But there are certainly opportunities to become more involved after the holiday weekend…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of June 23, 2025
July 9 Know Before You Grow, Des Moines Film Festival, Argus Courier editorial
Thanks to everyone who took the train to Windsor on Friday for lunch and conversation. We had a traveling party of six, including a Councilmember, all of whom had been engaged with Urban Chat but some of whom didn't yet know each other…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of June 16, 2025
Back from Providence, Healthy Petaluma grant, Riding the rails to Windsor, Petaluma is no longer #1 in bowling alley parking
Back from Providence - This email is tardy this week. I only returned from the StrongTowns and Congress for the New Urbanism gatherings in Providence, Rhode Island yesterday afternoon…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of June 9, 2025
Urban Chat to Windsor, StrongTowns zxpands beyond North America, StrongTowns on grants
By the time you read this, I’ll be in Providence, Rhode Island for the StrongTowns Gathering followed by the CNU Congress. As always, I’ll offer highlights in the next few emails…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of June 2, 2025
Urban Chat to Windsor!, SMART on the ballot
With the upcoming opening of the SMART Windsor station, I’ll go with a couple of SMART topics today…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of May 26, 2025
CCB applications, Hotel SPAR hearing, Know Before You Grow, SMART to Windsor!
We know today is a holiday, but we’re still maintaining the Monday email schedule. If you didn’t open and peruse this email until Tuesday, I understand. You didn’t miss anything…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
Week of May 19, 2025
Overlay Walks and drop-In, CCB applications, “Dignity”, Thanks for responses
Overlay Walks and Drop-In - To better inform the public regarding the Downtown Overlay, Petaluma Planning will conduct…
Continue reading the weekly update here.
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.