Sightline Institute

In the words of our Executive Director, Alan Durning: "I like to think of Sightline as neither left nor right but out front."   Sightline stands firmly for foundational values of democracy and fact-based governance, educating elected officials and allies with research-based policy solutions to upgrade our elections. Efforts to slow climate action will cause extra harm worldwide over the years ahead, but they cannot reverse progress. Momentum is on our side already. Help us keep it going at sightline.org/donate

A new report from ECOnorthwest and MapCraft takes a deep dive into the outcomes of different combinations of housing policies in Colorado (spoiler: more reforms = more housing).  But what caught Catie Gould's eye was the research that compares eliminating parking mandates against two other pro-housing reforms. Parking reform came out on top as the most effective policy for homebuilding, even more than legalizing granny flats or apartments near transit COMBINED.

Since Washington became a state in 1889, lawmakers have been switching up the timing for local elections. They changed the timing of municipal elections five times in the course of a century, hoping to make the process convenient for voters. But still, Washington has never held national and municipal elections on the same day. Moving municipal elections to even-numbered years would boost participation, save public funds, and still allow voters plenty of time to research and consider their mail-in ballots.

Fake Christmas trees are mostly made from two energy-intensive materials: steel and PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a plastic with an especially polluting production phase.   Actual evergreens are typically greener, but the real deal does have its own carbon footprint, too. Each of the estimated nine million trees per year harvested from Cascadian farms travel approximately 230 miles from 1) the site of seed production to 2) the nursery to 3) the farm to 4) the retailer and finally, to 5) a customer’s cozy living room.   From the archives of Christmas past: Ten DIY Christmas trees that reuse, craft, and upcycle — from macramé to driftwood to an unexpected home maintenance tool.

First-time candidate for Seattle City Council Alexis Mercedes Rinck just got more votes in her Nov. race than any elected official in all elections that the city government has ever recorded.  That’s because she ran for office in a special election on the same ballot as higher-profile races. The takeaway? More voters participate when voting is easy: when they’re doing it anyway in an even-numbered year.

At sightline.org you’ll now find our same top-notch solutions research with a fresh coat of paint. That’s right, our website got a much-needed revamp! Our newsletters also got the redesign treatment—we’ve got a whole slate of options to deliver insights, policy updates, and quips straight to your inbox for free: https://lnkd.in/g7zY4UGu 

The public library is one of the few places that remains truly inclusive, accessible, and free. Beyond the physical space, libraries can leverage their programming, collections, and resources to uphold human dignity, foster open dialogue, and promote respect for diverse viewpoints and civil rights. Look at your local library with fresh eyes, writes author and advocate Shamichael Hallman, and you might just see the future epicenter of civic engagement.

Thanks for helping us better our communities across the region this year, from investing in a cleaner economy to building more homes in our neighborhoods. Together we're making an impact. Support Sightline this #GivingTuesday to help make Cascadia a global model of sustainability at sightline.org/donate.

Due to a shortage of available homes, housing costs in #Anchorage have risen 23 percent since 2020. New ordinances coming up in the Anchorage Assembly could help alleviate the market by lifting arcane rules that in effect bar developers from building more homes. They offer a suite of important changes to loosen the grip of excessive regulation on building the range of homes Alaskans want and need. Alaska research lead Jeannette Lee outlines three commonsense changes to help Anchorage homeseekers: flexibility for homes and businesses to mix in some zones, ditching an obscure regulatory constraint, and pausing onerous (and subjective) design requirements.

Another oil refinery — Phillips 66’s site in Los Angeles — announced plans to shut down next year. With oil demand projected to peak this decade, one of #Washington state’s five refineries could be next.   Leaders have an opportunity to minimize the shock of sudden mass layoffs and safeguard Washingtonians from corporate handwashing of responsibility. Climate + Energy director Emily Moore lays out what a forthcoming state Department of Commerce study should include to chart a smoother path for Washington’s refining communities.