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News & events.

Coverage of the project, upcoming gatherings, progress reports, and longer reads on how Petaluma goes from vacant to vibrant.

La Via empty retail space on Petaluma Blvd North Blog posts Retail Is the Heart of Downtown—But Only If We Get It Right By The Vacancy Project, an initiative of Petaluma Urban Chat Downtown is the economic and cultural heart of our community. Its historic buildings, walkable streets, restaurants,… July 30, 2026 Haystack property as seen from Copeland. Blog posts Vacant by design? Why change takes intention Why does redevelopment in Petaluma move so slowly? In this provocative post for Renaissance Petaluma, Stuart Sutton (Associate Professor Emeritus, University of Washington) details the high-friction… July 21, 2026 Historic photo of the Petaluma train depot, with a text overlay. Blog posts Take a deep dive into the history of vacancies in Petaluma The Vacancy Project’s map highlights vacancies in Petaluma’s urban core within a half-mile radius of the intersections or Petaluma Blvd North and Washington Street. Many parcels… May 5, 2026