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.
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Parking Reform: From Theory to Practice 
The principles of parking reform are straightforward, but the politics can be another story. Four changemakers from both in and outside of government share their stories of how they won victories for using city space more efficiently.
Political Leadership for Abundant Housing
St. Paul councilmember Mitra Jalali, Former Oregon House Speaker and gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek, Washington state representative Jessica Bateman, and moderator Conor Dougherty (New York Times) discuss housing advocacy at local and state levels and how focusing on real people and their stories can unite coalitions around a common cause.
Thumb on the Scale: Our Housing Systems and How to Fix Them
Jerusalem Demsas (The Atlantic), Jenny Schuetz (Brookings Metro), Allan Lazo (Fair Housing Council of Oregon), and moderator Vivian Satterfield discuss the need to rethink our exclusionary housing systems and the community engagement process in order to reshape these systems and their outcomes.
Fighting the Freeway Industrial Complex and What It Means for Housing, Infrastructure, and Transit
Alex Contreras (Happy City Coalition), Adah Crandall (Sunrise Movement PDX and Portland Youth Climate Strike), and Martha Roskowski (Further Strategies) discuss their organizations’ advocacy work and the intersection of housing, the climate crisis, and transit in the push against freeway expansions.
The Future of Historic Preservation
Social design artist Cleo Davis, Portland Historic Landmark Commission’s Kristen Minor, and moderator Steph Routh dig into the often controversial work of historic preservation and how the effort can and should be used to acknowledge all histories.
Cultivating Business Leadership for Abundant and Equitable Housing
Two Portland-based civic leaders discuss how entrepreneurship and a better, more just urban form can go hand in hand.
It’s Time for Cascadia to Start Pruning the Gas System and Electrifying Whole Neighborhoods
Early efforts in California, Colorado, and New York offer lessons to get started.
Washington’s Refinery Communities Just Got a Transition Boost
A quarter-million-dollar budget proviso will fund a study to map opportunities beyond oil.
The Northwest Needs More Midsize Solar
While distributed solar can’t solve the region’s transmission woes alone, Idaho and Washington would be smart to follow Oregon’s lead in boosting it for a cleaner future.
What Washington, DC, Can Learn from the Other Washington about Climate Policy
Six lessons from the Evergreen State for America’s national leaders.
It’s Time to Stop Subsidizing New Gas Pipes
Regulators across Cascadia should end line extension allowances, the subsidies ratepayers finance that expand utilities’ pipeline infrastructure.
Is There a Future for Gas Utilities? It Could Be Heating and Cooling Your Home (from the Ground)
“GeoNetworks” are being piloted in New York and Massachusetts. Cascadia should be next.
Montana’s Plurality Problem
Political gamesmanship and the spoiler effect prevent majority winners in some of the Treasure State’s most impactful elections.
Despite Candidate Dropouts, Alaska Elections Are Becoming More Competitive
A dozen candidates removed themselves from 2024’s general election, but voters still have plenty to choose from.
Ranked Choice Voting Already Passed Its First Test in Oregon
Benton County and Corvallis transitioned smoothly to the revised method.
A Guide to Alaska’s November 2024 Election
Ranked choice voting for president and other offices, plus deciding on whether to keep open primaries and ranked choice voting.
An “Incredible Explosion in Participation”
Democracy Vouchers have fast unlocked a much larger, more diverse group of political donors, says scholar Jennifer Heerwig, who will speak at Town Hall Seattle on October 17.
Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting Strengthened Moderate Republicans in Alaska’s Legislature
Fewer hardliners won office, leading to an overwhelmingly bipartisan Senate majority, a hard-fought win on education funding, and the ability to neutralize culture warriors.
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.
Video: Housing Solutions Are Climate Solutions
In 90 seconds, how zoning for more home choices in our cities helps affordability and cuts climate pollution.
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.
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.
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.
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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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
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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.Â
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.
