Ecology Law Quarterly’s Volume 52 Special Issue comprises the transcript of the 2026 Ecology Law Quarterly Symposium, titled Rural Unincorporated California: The Growth of Cities and Who is Left Behind. This Symposium brought together lawyers and other experts from across the environmental field to grapple with the important work of advocating for rural unincorporated communities.
Nearly six million Californians live in disadvantaged unincorporated communities. These places are outside the official boundaries of any city. Therefore, they lack a local government to coordinate their municipal services like drinking water, sewage, and wastewater management. Often, no specific entity is responsible for infrastructure like paved roads, sidewalks, and streetlights. These communities—which tend to be home to people of color, Indigenous people, and immigrants—face unique challenges that are often
overlooked in conversations about resource access. This issue helps to place a much-needed spotlight on these issues.
