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Researching the region’s most pressing sustainability challenges

We provide citizens and decision-makers with the policy analysis and practical tools they need to advance an economy and way of life that are environmentally sound, economically vibrant, and socially just.

Our Work

All Sightline Institute research is available to you to cite, use, and share, per our free use policy.

Democracy + Elections

Lawmakers Across the Political Spectrum Should Help More Alaskans Vote

A host of laws to make voting easier would benefit Independent, Republican, and Democratic constituents.
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Housing + Cities

A Housing Agenda for Oregon: More Homes without Higher Prices

The usual way to get more homes built is wait for prices go up. But there is another way.
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Housing + Cities

Inside Minnesota’s People over Parking Act, with Chris Meyer

Making the case for statewide elimination of parking mandates.
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Housing + Cities

Anchorage Removes Barriers to Small Multifamily Homes

City leaders take another step toward allowing more new homes, in more sizes and varying price points, in Alaska’s largest city.
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Democracy + Elections

Washingtonians May Get a Democracy Upgrade in 2024

State leaders are considering measures to allow ranked choice voting, even-year elections, statewide democracy vouchers, and more.
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Democracy + Elections

With Ranked Choice Voting Coming to Washington State, It’s Time to Coordinate Rollout

State legislators can support local jurisdictions with streamlined implementation guidelines.
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Explaining Washington’s Ballot Initiative 2066

Four ways the initiative could affect Washington.
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Hydrogen Is Sneaking Its Way Into Oregon Homes

Oregon laws can catch up to protect customers.
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The Northwest’s Electric Grid Deserves an Upgrade

Up to 40 percent of the region’s grid could be suitable for reconductoring—for less than half the time and cost of building new transmission lines.
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Five Ways Ranked Choice Voting Could Help Climate Action

A functioning democracy is essential to tackling any large-scale issue.
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Washington State Leads in Climate-Friendly Building Policies—For Now

How two ballot initiatives would affect Washington’s clean building efforts and how the state can maintain its lead.
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Washingtonians Will Soon Enjoy Cleaner Heating and Cooling Options

HB 2131, to allow thermal energy networks, unanimously passed in the 2024 legislative session. It’s a win for consumers, the climate, pipeline workers, and electric grids.
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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.
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A Magic Boost for Low-Turnout City Elections

Seattle’s 2024 special city council election showed just how easily local voter participation could skyrocket.
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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. 
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Election Reform Measures Lost; Election Reform Didn’t

What to learn—and what to leave behind—from the 2024 ballot measure losses in Cascadia.
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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. 
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Portland Election Delivers City’s Most Representative Council Ever

Proportional ranked choice voting lived up to the promises of the voter-approved charter reform.
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Four Ways Context Matters for Wildfire News Coverage

Reporters can help people see the forest, even when the trees are on fire.
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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.
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What’s Misunderstood about Indigenous Cultural Fire Is Sovereignty

Lessons from the Karuk Tribe.
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Oregon’s Land Use Law Creates Wildfire-Adapted Communities

Bend residents have shown us how.
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The Best Wildfire Solution We’re Not Using

Three ways to curb the sprawl that traps us on a wildfire treadmill.
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We’re Stuck on a Wildfire Treadmill

And to escape, we need more fire, not less.
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Backyard Homes Are Great for Owners of Small Homes

In Portland, almost one in six residential lots has a small detached home. Many of those 23,486 backyards would be great spots for more homes—if they were legal.
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Yes, Even Walmart Wants to Build Smaller Parking Lots

Retailers are responding to the boom in e-commerce. Shouldn’t cities’ parking codes change, too?
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18 Reasons Why Washington Should Legalize Middle Housing

The homes Washingtonians need, plus protecting the open lands, local economies, and close communities we cherish.
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Oregon Experiments with Healthy Homes Repair Fund

In the midst of climate crises, a more flexible approach to weatherization work takes shape.
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Confining Rental Homes to Busy Streets Is a Devil’s Bargain

Why Vancouver should allow more rental homes on quiet, local streets.
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Bogus “Historic” Districts: The New Exclusionary Zoning?

Interlocking loopholes would let homeowners in richer parts of Portland veto city council’s maps – but there’s a fix.
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Video: Housing Solutions Are Climate Solutions

In 90 seconds, how zoning for more home choices in our cities helps affordability and cuts climate pollution.
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Poll: Washington Voters Out Ahead Of Local Leaders On Zoning Reforms

Statewide survey shows broad voter receptivity—across partisan, demographic, and geographic lines—to zoning changes to allow more homes like duplexes and small apartment buildings.
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Video: Zoning for All Kinds of Affordable Homes

Cities need all kinds of affordability, both subsidized housing and naturally affordable, modest-sized, market-rate homes.
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Recipes for Successful Abundant Housing Communications

In this panel discussion, three expert communicators share how they’ve crafted compelling narratives, engaged coalitions, and garnered press attention for housing affordability and climate policy.
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How to Tear Down the Invisible Walls in Your City’s Zoning Code

10 tips for zoning reformers from a town that legalized housing.
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Americans Want to Vote As Trump Does (By Mail), Not As He Says

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Sightline news picks

Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Cut through the noise and get the news you can use. Sightline editors—real people—hand-pick headlines from 150+ outlets to keep you on top of the stories shaping our region’s communities, economy, and environment. Reader favorite; formerly known as Sightline Daily. 

Sightline weekly

Saturday mornings.

Only have a few minutes each week? Our weekly wrap-up delivers the latest Sightline research and solutions, plus top headlines to keep movers and shakers in the know. 

Sightline month in review

End of the month.

Get a month’s worth of solutions research and key headlines, plus a personal note from a Sightline team member connecting the dots and putting our work into the larger news context. 

Issue insights from Sightline experts

Hear directly from our team of experts. They take you on a deeper dive into Sightline’s solutions, translating their latest analysis and sharing behind-the-scenes context for the research—as well as what to watch for next. Delivered about monthly.

Housing + Cities

Parking, zoning, sprawl, pollution, property rights, commutes, rents, and home prices—they all intersect where a legacy of exclusionary rules and regulations restrict homebuilding and fuel our housing shortage. Hear from Dan Bertolet, Catie Gould, Michael Andersen, and others exploring solutions for low-carbon, affordable, accessible cities and towns.  

Climate + Energy

From electrification to decarbonization, carbon pricing to grid upgrades, Emily Moore and team decode the policy solutions to power a greener, more equitable, and robust economy for the region’s future.  

Democracy + Elections

Protecting voter choice and voice with clear-eyed, independent analysis and models of success—Alan Durning, Jay Lee, Shannon Grimes, Al Vanderklipp, and others send you the latest elections solutions and opportunities, from Alaska to Oregon and inland to Montana and Idaho. 

Farms + Forests

Where sustainability meets stewardship of our natural resources and food systems. Get dispatches from actual farms and forests—and the policy discussions that determine their health and climate impacts. 

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