Matthew Gardner, the chief economist at Seattle’s Windermere Real Estate, earlier this year digitally superimposed a map of Paris atop a map of Seattle for a talk he gave about how outdated single-detached zoning is. It’s a familiar theme for Sightline readers who have been tracking our arguments about housing shortages and climate change. The … Read more
Sightline Researcher Tarika Powell recently participated on a panel called “Defining Cascadia.” The lively panel discussion was recorded for the Seattle-centered “Upzones Podcast“ in front of a live audience, and was posted to the podcast’s feed this week. “Defining Cascadia” brought together some of the region’s top subject matter experts to discuss: how we define the … Read more
When Washington Governor Jay Inslee reversed course last month to oppose two big gas infrastructure projects, it may have marked the turning of the tide against an industry that has enjoyed seemingly unfettered growth in the Northwest. And it isn’t a moment too soon. Even as climate scientists’ warnings become more urgent and our understanding … Read more
How upzoning for homes of all shapes and sizes takes them down.
At the end of January, a coal export project died a quiet death. With little more than a blandly worded notice on its website, the Port of Vancouver, BC officially rescinded the permit for the proposed coal terminal at Fraser Surrey Docks (FSD) just a few miles outside the city of Vancouver. The decision seemed … Read more
When New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg first endorsed congestion pricing in 2007, it failed to even advance to a State Assembly vote. It was new, it was bold, and it was a nonstarter. But in March 2019, after more than 10 years of advocacy from environmentalists and transit activists, New York became the first US … Read more
Each of us loves the natural places and communities in the Northwest for our own reasons. Maybe you’ve always called this place home, or perhaps you were drawn here—for the mountains, for love, for education, your career. All the same, you believe in sustainability solutions because you care about this place; the people you know … Read more
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2016 but we’ve added this update about startup company Vessel, which is piloting a mug share program in Boulder, Colorado. Five coffee shops across the city have already signed up to participate. Participation is free for customers—they simply pick up their caffeine fix in a stainless steel, … Read more
Editor’s note, 1/11/19: We updated this article to add information about 2018 code changes in Anchorage, Alaska. Cascadians are hungry for housing choices. One way they showed it in 2018 was by loosening restrictions on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in cities across the region—from Bellingham to Yakima, Florence to Portland. In all, at least 37 … Read more
Earlier this month, Google subsidiary Waymo announced the launch of a commercial robo-taxi service in Chandler, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, after nearly two years of testing there. Yet just a few weeks earlier, automation expert Mary Cummings, the director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University, said she doesn’t expect widespread use … Read more