2026 California Land Recycling Conference

The Center for Creative Land Recycling, California DTSC Office of Brownfields, and EPA Region 9 are excited to announce the 7th annual California Land Recycling Conference (CALRC)

September 29 – October 1, 2026 in Foster City, CA

Early Bird Registration rates are now available until July 15! Register today and save

This year, CALRC is moving to the San Francisco Bay Area!

You asked, we listened! Feedback from CALRC 2025 attendees assisted with the selection of this year’s new venue.

We hope you will join us for another year of exceptional programming at the Crowne Plaza Foster City-San Mateo.

Bringing the conference to Northern California is an exciting opportunity to include new communities, explore diverse case studies, and get inspired in the innovation center of the state.

CALRC 2026 will feature 26 Sessions and 12 Topic Talks on A Variety of Land Reuse Topics including:

1. The Intersection of Housing & Land Use Equity

Millions of new homes are needed to end the housing affordability crisis in California. Infill and land reuse will be pivotal to building homes in existing communities and near transit stations. CALRC sessions will cover everything from infill housing corridors in high-stakes regions, creative land use for vulnerable populations, to pro-housing strategies for urban revitalization, and brownfield advocacy.

2. Climate Resilience, Parks, and Nature-Based Solutions

Land recycling is increasingly being framed as a vital tool for environmental defense. Conference content will explore the integration of sustainability and green infrastructure. Key sessions focus on regional shoreline adaptation planning for sea-level and groundwater rise, transforming closed landfills into regional parks, and utilizing nature-based solutions.

3. Regulatory Innovation and Collaboration

Several cornerstone sessions—including high-profile panels with DTSC and Regional Water Boards—will focus on moving past adversarial dynamics to collaborative equitable land recycling. CALRC will also feature critical technical deep-dives, including navigating the PCB regulations, the latest innovations on vapor intrusion, and utilizing advanced due diligence and high-resolution site investigations to accelerate project timelines.

4. Creative Funding, Stacking, and Local Economics

Developing a complete funding strategy is paramount, especially as brownfield grant levels decline. Conference programming will feature expert-led sessions on finding capital, sequencing multiple public/private sources of funding, and mitigating liability through innovative environmental insurance.

5. Inclusive Data & Community-Led Reuse

From making “Brownfields 101” jargon accessible to using advanced GIS mapping to identify cities’ brownfields, our sessions stress the importance of community empowerment. We have an underlying focus on authentic storytelling to increase project buy-in and lift up community voices to prevent displacement during phased redevelopments.

Introducing a new session style- The Dig: True Stories from the Brownfield Trenches   Fast-paced and rehearsed story-forward format inspired by the Moth Radio Hour. Format features one highly engaging speaker sharing a compelling or humorous brownfield experience. Have an idea? Explore inspiration and submit your ideas today: The Dig submission form

Conferences are more fun with friends! Become a CALRC Promotional Partner

Your support and engagement have helped make CALRC the premier annual training event for California brownfields and community revitalization professionals. Invite your network to join in on two days of expert led sessions, opportunities to connect, and bonus networking events (did someone say Brownfields Karaoke….).

Event Scholarships

We are committed to helping people who cannot pay the fee to attend CALRC. Through the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships.

Groups eligible to receive scholarships to the 2026 California Land Recycling Conference include:
– Non-Profit Employees
– Select Local and State Government Employees
– Tribal Entities
– Students

Apply for a Scholarship