2025 All-America City Finalist – Petaluma, CA
Over the past decade, Petaluma, California, has shown how bold, community-driven climate action can catalyze lasting civic transformation. Spurred by devastating wildfires, droughts, and floods, residents, students, nonprofits, and business leaders united to demand meaningful change. Their advocacy led to the 2019 Climate Emergency Resolution and the formation of a Climate Action Commission, resulting in a 2030 carbon neutrality goal and pioneering initiatives like ReLeaf Petaluma and Cool Petaluma. In 2021, Petaluma became the first U.S. city to ban new gas stations, sparking national dialogue.
At the heart of Petaluma’s success is its inclusive governance. Public forums, neighborhood block programs, youth representation, and advisory groups ensure historically underrepresented voices shape local policy. Efforts like the Fairgrounds Advisory Panel and the City’s Blueprint for Climate Action reflect how robust community input drives equitable outcomes. Through transparency, collaboration, and shared leadership, Petaluma has built lasting trust and a model of civic participation that extends far beyond climate action—offering a powerful example of community-led governance.
Equitable Climate Action Coalition
Guided by civic engagement and a co-creative approach, Petaluma’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 led to the creation of the Petaluma Equitable Climate Action Coalition (PECAC). Launched by Daily Acts and Equity First Consulting, PECAC aimed to elevate the voices of those most affected by climate change and historically excluded from decision-making.
The six-month pilot program, PECAC 1.0, selected six diverse residents to analyze the city’s Climate Emergency Framework and co-create solutions. Participants received $1,800 stipends, co-designed a bottom-up curriculum, and built trust through shared lived experiences. The cohort presented its findings to more than 30 leaders across city, county, and community agencies, earning praise as a new standard in civic engagement.
Due to its success, the City funded PECAC 2.0 to develop transportation policy recommendations. The second cohort dedicated over 60 hours to learning, conducting focus groups, and presenting proposals to advisory committees and city departments.
The model’s impact extended countywide: the Sonoma County Office of Equity adopted it to strengthen outreach, and PECAC-informed efforts helped secure $6.1M in state funding for climate resilience projects. To date, 28 of 64 planned landscape projects have been completed, saving over two million gallons of water and creating nearly an acre of habitat.
PECAC proves that centering underrepresented communities isn’t just equitable—it’s transformative.
Petaluma’s Journey Toward an Equitable, Sustainable Future
Petaluma’s commitment to climate resilience took a major step forward when a 14-member team—including residents, businesses, grassroots organizations, and city leaders—successfully secured a Sustainable Design Assistance Team (SDAT) grant from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Their goal: partner with multidisciplinary experts to envision Petaluma as an equitable, regenerative, and carbon-neutral city. The SDAT process focused on two priorities: creating “15-minute neighborhoods” where daily needs are accessible by walking or biking and reducing carbon emissions in an equitable, economically responsible way.
Building on Petaluma’s 2019 Climate Emergency Resolution, the project was deeply grounded in community engagement. A 40-person stakeholder bus tour, a town hall attended by more than 350 residents, pop-up events, and targeted Spanish-language outreach ensured inclusive input. These efforts informed recommendations that were incorporated into the Climate Blueprint, General Plan Update, and Active Transportation Plan.
The outcomes are already visible: fare-free public transit launched in July 2024, Safe Streets programs are improving pedestrian infrastructure, and urban greening projects—supported by EPA and regional partnerships—are expanding access to parks and tree cover. Mixed-use development efforts, such as River Park, reinforce local living and sustainable mobility.
The SDAT process set a new standard for inclusive, participatory urban planning. Petaluma now aims to institutionalize these recommendations through zoning reforms, expanded bike networks, and sustained community input.
By aligning systemic planning with local voices, Petaluma is proving that small cities can lead the way in equitable climate action.
Re-envisioning the Petaluma Fairgrounds
Faced with the expiration of the lease between the City of Petaluma and the 4th District Agricultural Association in 2023, the future of the 55-acre Petaluma Fairgrounds became a flashpoint of community debate. Long-standing frustrations over limited public input, demographic shifts, and evolving community needs led the city to take bold action: convening a resident-led, demographically representative Fairgrounds Advisory Panel in partnership with Healthy Democracy.
The 36-member panel, selected by lottery and supported with stipends, childcare, transportation, and tech access, reflected the full diversity of Petaluma. Over 90 hours of structured deliberation, panelists engaged experts and one another to answer the core question: How might we use the City’s fairgrounds property to meet the evolving needs of our community?
The process—marked by transparency, accessibility, and inclusion—resulted in a three-part series of reports featuring guiding principles and specific recommendations, including:
- Preserving agricultural uses and the annual fair
- Creating a year-round farmers market
- Establishing an emergency evacuation center
- Implementing sustainable noise mitigation strategies
The city adopted eight guiding principles based on the panel’s work and committed to using them in future redevelopment.
By centering community voices and removing participation barriers, Petaluma not only navigated a contentious issue but also set a precedent for collaborative decision-making grounded in equity, transparency, and shared values.
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