“That the Sierra Club and Cal Cities were founded around the same time highlights a fundamental tension that has existed since the Gold Rush,” writes Cal Cities President Gabe Quinto. “How do we develop cities that are thriving economic hubs while also protecting the natural splendor that drew so many of us here?”

“It falls very much in the spirit of what most of our city tends towards — a combination of deep humanitarianism, ecology, and culture,” said Ojai Mayor Andy Gilman. “This whole space is becoming alive with purpose, and I feel really lucky to be a part of it.”

Nationwide, youth are facing an epidemic of anxiety, disconnection, and self-doubt. The numbers are sobering, but they don’t show the quiet questions teens ask themselves every day: Do I matter? Do I belong? Can I make a difference? In Norwalk, the answer is a resounding yes.

“Water solutions will not come from a single region, policy, or idea,” writes Woodlake Mayor Rudy Mendoza. “They will come from a network of conversations, innovations, and partnerships that reflect the full diversity of California.”