Research & Maps

Some of the most innovative solutions for building thriving and sustainable communities in the Northwest are, at present, simply illegal. Current rules make it difficult to share bikes, find a cab, take toddlers on the bus, and hang a clothesline. read more »

For years, local governments have used Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) programs to help channel urban growth away from farmland, forests, and open space. But new evidence suggests that, when used carefully, TDR programs can also help local governments achieve meaningful reductions in local greenhouse gas emissions. read more »

No study has ever proven that California’s 12-second rule for fire prevention makes furniture safer—but it does fill our homes with toxic flame retardants linked to a host of ailments. Just how serious is the problem? Sightline’s infographic makes the case. view graphic »

In January, 2012, Kinder Morgan—a giant energy conglomerate—announced plans to use an Oregon port on the Columbia River to export 30 million tons of coal annually to China and other Asian markets. Many people in the Northwest are concerned about the health risks, pollution, and economic risk that are entailed by the plans. A look at Kinder Morgan’s track record in communities where the company already exports coal reveals that these worries may be well-founded. read more »

Answers to some common questions about economics, health, and pollution with regard to coal exports in the Northwest, including: why care about coal exports and are coal terminals good neighbors? read more »

This spring marks the release of new editions of introductory economics textbooks, so it’s a good time to update our 2010 review of the treatment of climate change in economics textbooks. As in 2010, some hit the mark while others are wildly misleading, but we’re happy to say that there’s plenty of good news: about half of the books improved their treatment of climate change. read more »

The people of Cascadia are living longer than ever before—a sign of robust and improving health. As of 2012, Cascadians’ lifespans had grown to 80.5 years—an increase of more than 5 years since 1980. Unlike many other quality of life indicators in Cascadia, life expectancy has improved steadily for decades. These improvements show little sign of abating, as the toll from virtually every major cause of death continues to decline. read more »

Cascadia’s fertility rate—the average number of births over a woman’s lifetime, given current patterns of child-bearing—inched upwards in the mid-2000s, but declined again when the economy soured in 2008. Yet these trends were minor, compared with the massive fertility spike of the baby boom, when Northwest fertility rates peaked at nearly 4 lifetime births per woman. Since the mid-1970s fertility rates in the Northwest have remained comparatively stable, ranging between 1.8 and 2.0 total births over a woman’s lifetime. read more »

Every day, oceans do us a huge favor by absorbing about a third of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by human activities. But as we burn more fossil fuels and clear forests, our oceans absorb more and become more acidic. The result is water that’s potentially lethal to a large swath of creatures that play a huge role in aquatic ecosystems, the Northwest economy, and our dinner plates. read more »

As the Northwest prepares major highway projects–the replacement I-5 bridge of the Columbia River, the replacement SR 520 bridge across Lake Washington, and Seattle’s deep-bore tunnel–tolling has an increasingly significant role to play in project financing. Yet a review of the literature shows that when it comes to predicting traffic volumes and revenue from newly-tolled roads, official projections are often overly-optimistic. This is especially true of highways with un-tolled alternative routes nearby. read more »