Petaluma

The City Without a Planning Department

Petaluma, California, made headlines last year when it got rid of its planning department. The Architect's Newspaper takes a look at how the city is adapting to contract-based planning through hired consultants.

15 January 2010 - 1:00pm

The Architect's Newspaper

Interview with Mike Moore, City of Petaluma Community Development Director

7:55 minutes (5.49 MB)

Petaluma, CA is used to attention from the planning world, because they were one of the first cities in the United States to adopt a form-based code. Now the planning department is on the cutting edge for another reason: the city has decided to entirely eliminate its planning function due to budget cuts. We called Mike Moore, community development director for the City of Petaluma, to get the full story. Read, listen or download.

30 April 2009 - 10:00am

Download audio file

Petaluma's Planning Department Given Pink Slip

Last week, with a $4.5 million budget deficit and no development activity, the Petaluma City Council took the drastic step of eliminating its entire planning department.

22 April 2009 - 2:00pm

California Planning & Development Report