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Latest Research
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Alaska’s open primary flipped the campaign script
In his book ‘The Primary Solution,’ Nick Troiano shows why other states might consider following Alaska’s lead on switching to nonpartisan open primary elections.
Audit Stretches to Find Trouble in Portland’s Affordability Mandate
Should people who qualify for subsidized housing get to have home offices? And other odd questions.
Bellingham’s Parking Reform Pilot Pays Off
Old Town’s first new building project has more than double the number of homes and less parking than the city’s old code would have allowed. The rest of the city might follow suit.
Seattle Deserves a Better Comp Plan
The city can make three critical fixes to its 20-year growth plan: Let middle housing be bigger, allow apartment buildings in more places, and legalize car-free homes everywhere.
Aging Solutions Are Climate Solutions
Adapting communities to better serve growing elderly populations also makes those places more climate-resilient. A new book charts the path to making this connection.
Boise’s New Zoning Code Sparks Surge in Permits for ADUs
Rules about who can live in them and where they can park were key barriers to backyard cottages.
Lessons for Washington State Leaders as Another US Oil Refinery Closes
In a state home to five oil refineries, a forthcoming, taxpayer-funded study can answer some central questions.
One of Washington’s Anti-Climate Initiatives, 2066, Eked Out a Victory. Why?
And how leaders can still help families and businesses electrify for safer, cleaner buildings in line with the state’s climate values.
Four Ways Gov.-elect Ferguson and Washington Lawmakers Can Build on the State’s Big Climate Win
After Washingtonians overwhelmingly voted to keep the Climate Commitment Act, their leaders have powerful opportunities ahead.
Correcting the Record on Initiative 2066
What the Seattle Times editorial board got wrong about the Washington ballot measure.
The Contradiction of a Split Vote on Washington’s Anti-Climate Ballot Initiatives
Initiatives 2066 and 2117 are closely linked, but polls and endorsements diverge.
(Re)explaining Washington’s Climate Commitment Act
Understanding the cap-and-invest law that Washington Initiative 2117 would repeal.
The History of Washington’s Wandering Election Day
Despite intending to choose a voting day that’s best for voters, timing could still be easier—and legislators can fix that.
A Magic Boost for Low-Turnout City Elections
Seattle’s 2024 special city council election showed just how easily local voter participation could skyrocket.
Reintroducing: Your Local Library, a Critical Tool for Democracy
A Q&A with author and advocate Shamichael Hallman on how public libraries can help us rebuild civic trust and connection—if we redefine our relationship with them.
Election Reform Measures Lost; Election Reform Didn’t
What to learn—and what to leave behind—from the 2024 ballot measure losses in Cascadia.
Alaskans Keep Their Model Election System
The open primaries and ranked choice voting that have delivered more representation for independents and moderate Republicans survived a repeal effort.
Portland Election Delivers City’s Most Representative Council Ever
Proportional ranked choice voting lived up to the promises of the voter-approved charter reform.
Four Ways Context Matters for Wildfire News Coverage
Reporters can help people see the forest, even when the trees are on fire.
Blazing a Trail: The Vital Role of Wildfire Hazard Maps
Sophisticated and high-resolution maps such as Oregon’s are essential tools for thriving in a fiery future.
The Best Wildfire Solution We’re Not Using
Three ways to curb the sprawl that traps us on a wildfire treadmill.
Parking Reform Alone Can Boost Homebuilding by 40 to 70 Percent
More evidence that parking flexibility is key to housing abundance.
Three Ways Anchorage Leaders Could Unlock More Homes
The ordinances under consideration offer commonsense solutions to address the city’s longstanding housing shortage.
Parking Mandates Are Keeping Kids Out of Daycare
But cities can ditch these arbitrary rules and help families out of the daycare desert.
In Race after Race, People Keep Electing Pro-Housing Politicians
Contrary to some misconceptions, most voters seem to understand that housing is good.
To Fix Inclusionary Zoning, Fund It
Lessons from places that are solving the biggest problem in abundant housing politics and policy.
Vancouver Shows Just How Much it Costs to Ban Apartments
Driving problems from inequality to sprawl to pollution, restrictions against anything but single-detached houses have to go.
Featured project
Beyond Parking Mandates | Data and insights on the growing movement for cities and towns to break free of arbitrary, excessive parking mandates.
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