Sightline Institute

09/02/2026

OPB's Think Out Loud talked with Kol Peterson about Portland's fastest and most affordable housing option: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl7cLvaAs9Q

"You might as well be building a spaceship to be building a house in America. It's so complicated—the amount of bureaucracy involved, the amount of regulations and codes involved—it's a three month process to go through design. Let's say three months for permitting, on average, for a detached ADU, and let's say six months for construction. If you're lucky: one year from start to finish. By contrast, an MDU is three months, max. Maybe two. "

Seven Lessons from Portland’s Mobile Dwelling Experiment

08/31/2026

Portland’s new system of government has been in place for nearly two years now.

It’s working, but it’s taken some adjustment: councilors have had to learn it, sometimes clumsily; they’ve been divided on numerous issues; and those divisions have been on full, awkward public display thanks to a new state law.

The first year-and-a-half of Portland, OR's new government has been a steep learning curve for councilors. As it finds its feet, the refreshed system is slowly delivering neighborhood and citywide wins. .org

08/26/2026

Thank you for your commitment to Cascadia this Make-A-Will month.💓Your planned gifts create a lasting foundation for the work that matters most to you.

Planned Giving

08/25/2026

SCOTUS ruled yesterday that USPS can issue rules in compliance with Trump's plan to restrict mail-in ballots in the 2026 election. For now, a separate case still blocks the postal service from rolling those rules out nationwide. https://www.sightline.org/2026/05/28/how-threats-to-voting-by-mail-could-affect-cascadia/

Breaking News: The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to proceed with plans to restrict mail-in voting. The decision clears, for now, an executive order that would create “citizenship lists” and directs the Postal Service to decide who gets a mail-in ballot. https://nyti.ms/4xiRoIa

08/25/2026

You don’t have to live in fire country to end up paying for growing wildfire risk. Everyone picks up the tab—even the 80% of Northwesterners who live in places least likely to burn.

Fire Hazard: The Mounting Costs of Northwest Sprawl

08/20/2026

The climate-friendly appliances are becoming the norm among American home builders. Here are the factors driving the shift.

08/20/2026

Mobile dwellings are not just rivaling traditional backyard cottages. Since Portland legalized living in tiny homes on wheels in 2021, Portlanders prefer them *two to one.*

Seven Lessons from Portland’s Mobile Dwelling Experiment

08/18/2026

For most voters, the electric grid is out of sight, out of mind. The lights come on when we flip the switch, but most of us rarely consider the condition of the grid or its role in delivering clean energy.

Messaging the Northwest’s Energy Future

08/17/2026

"For now—in this time of maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time—reformers would do well to acknowledge that state-by-state campaigns for legislative proportional representation are no longer a winning strategy."

Relentless redistricting battles derail hopes for state‑by‑state PR progress

08/14/2026

"From America to Algeria, dangerous blazes are occurring around the world, giving us a glimpse into an age ablaze," writes John Valliant.