Serena Larkin
@serenalarkin.bsky.social
Comms + messaging for @sightline.org. Here for all our climate, cities, + democracy issues, plus weird fiction, farming, cats, + two-wheeled tootling 🚲 Chicago 🌇 Opinions my own
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Why has Portland been able to do what San Francisco can’t?
Bc of years of "big tent" organizing by @pnwelcome.bsky.social @1000oregon.bsky.social + lots more.
by @xianleonard.bsky.social for @sfchronicle.com
Bc of years of "big tent" organizing by @pnwelcome.bsky.social @1000oregon.bsky.social + lots more.
by @xianleonard.bsky.social for @sfchronicle.com
This liberal city sees San Francisco as a role model — for home building failure
While prices for starter homes in San Francisco have surged, Portland has seemingly found the key to produce “missing middle” houses for first-time buyers.
www.sfchronicle.com
December 16, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Why has Portland been able to do what San Francisco can’t?
Bc of years of "big tent" organizing by @pnwelcome.bsky.social @1000oregon.bsky.social + lots more.
by @xianleonard.bsky.social for @sfchronicle.com
Bc of years of "big tent" organizing by @pnwelcome.bsky.social @1000oregon.bsky.social + lots more.
by @xianleonard.bsky.social for @sfchronicle.com
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Big bad news. WA is the latest state the Trump admin is trying to force to keep burning coal. The Centralia, WA coal plant, the last in the state, should be shuttering in 2 weeks.
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
DOE orders WA coal plant to continue operating despite state ban
A state law requires Washington utilities to stop using coal-fired electricity beginning next year.
www.seattletimes.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Big bad news. WA is the latest state the Trump admin is trying to force to keep burning coal. The Centralia, WA coal plant, the last in the state, should be shuttering in 2 weeks.
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Hi hello yep this:
Key Findings: Most voters...
- Think global warming is affecting the cost of living
- Oppose eliminating government programs on global warming
- Support climate-friendly government policies
From @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social:
Key Findings: Most voters...
- Think global warming is affecting the cost of living
- Oppose eliminating government programs on global warming
- Support climate-friendly government policies
From @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social:
About two-thirds of voters think global warming is affecting the cost of living
mailchi.mp
December 17, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Hi hello yep this:
Key Findings: Most voters...
- Think global warming is affecting the cost of living
- Oppose eliminating government programs on global warming
- Support climate-friendly government policies
From @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social:
Key Findings: Most voters...
- Think global warming is affecting the cost of living
- Oppose eliminating government programs on global warming
- Support climate-friendly government policies
From @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social:
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Trying to arrest the people who literally keep a roof over our heads. Also one of the most dangerous jobs in America www.bls.gov/charts/censu...
December 14, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Trying to arrest the people who literally keep a roof over our heads. Also one of the most dangerous jobs in America www.bls.gov/charts/censu...
Reposted by Serena Larkin
If you're wondering why @sightline.org is working to legalize the quirky housing type known as mobile dwelling units, please watch this presentation by @citizen-cate.bsky.social.
Nothing beats MDUs for flexible, low-cost homes for people in all kinds of life situations.
tvw.org/video/house-...
Nothing beats MDUs for flexible, low-cost homes for people in all kinds of life situations.
tvw.org/video/house-...
December 10, 2025 at 1:00 AM
If you're wondering why @sightline.org is working to legalize the quirky housing type known as mobile dwelling units, please watch this presentation by @citizen-cate.bsky.social.
Nothing beats MDUs for flexible, low-cost homes for people in all kinds of life situations.
tvw.org/video/house-...
Nothing beats MDUs for flexible, low-cost homes for people in all kinds of life situations.
tvw.org/video/house-...
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Q: What’s no taller than a grown tree and could actually get built this decade?
A: Neighborhood-scale apartments.
A: Neighborhood-scale apartments.
To Build Fast, Think Small | Sightline Institute
How re-legalizing small apartment buildings would spur the homes city dwellers need now.
www.sightline.org
December 12, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Q: What’s no taller than a grown tree and could actually get built this decade?
A: Neighborhood-scale apartments.
A: Neighborhood-scale apartments.
sign me uuuup 🔥👠
Sexier Heat Pumps Are Hitting the Market
The first Quilt units will be available to San Franciscans in just a few weeks.
heatmap.news
December 9, 2025 at 4:21 PM
sign me uuuup 🔥👠
🫠🫠🫠
"In the US, Chicago took the top spot with 112 hours lost, costing the typical driver $2,063 in lost time, and the city as a whole $7.5 billion"
"In the US, Chicago took the top spot with 112 hours lost, costing the typical driver $2,063 in lost time, and the city as a whole $7.5 billion"
Scorecard
Our Global Traffic Scorecard provides detailed of transportation insights and ranks the world’s most congested cities. View our global traffic scorecard here.
inrix.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:59 PM
🫠🫠🫠
"In the US, Chicago took the top spot with 112 hours lost, costing the typical driver $2,063 in lost time, and the city as a whole $7.5 billion"
"In the US, Chicago took the top spot with 112 hours lost, costing the typical driver $2,063 in lost time, and the city as a whole $7.5 billion"
Reposted by Serena Larkin
"I AM A REVOLUTIONARY" mural in Garfield Park honoring Fred Hampton, Mark Clark and other Black Panther Party members. Hampton and Clark were killed when the Chicago Police sprayed Hampton's apartment with bullets in the pre-dawn hours of this day in 1969. Mural by Andre Trenier, 2020
December 4, 2024 at 7:30 PM
"I AM A REVOLUTIONARY" mural in Garfield Park honoring Fred Hampton, Mark Clark and other Black Panther Party members. Hampton and Clark were killed when the Chicago Police sprayed Hampton's apartment with bullets in the pre-dawn hours of this day in 1969. Mural by Andre Trenier, 2020
love it. grow the tax base simply by letting the homes that chicagoans *need anyway* get built 🌇
Neither the EY report nor the mayor’s Chicago Financial Future Task Force mentioned a totally free option for raising revenue: changing land use controls to grow the tax base
Stef explains what City Council can do. @aldconway.bsky.social
Stef explains what City Council can do. @aldconway.bsky.social
Budget Talks are Missing One Key Option
Importantly, an option completely in City Council’s control
citythatworks.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:51 PM
love it. grow the tax base simply by letting the homes that chicagoans *need anyway* get built 🌇
😍
Nice: Someone is doing announcements for the CTA who actually grew up in Chicago, instead of their usual voiceover guy who, no joke, lives in Milwaukee. 😉
secretchicago.com/cta-chance-t...
@chicagocta.bsky.social @ctaction.org @atalliance.bsky.social
secretchicago.com/cta-chance-t...
@chicagocta.bsky.social @ctaction.org @atalliance.bsky.social
Chance the Rapper is The Voice of the CTA Thanks to a New Campaign
The Chicago Transit Authority and the legendary local MC have teamed up for the "Enjoy the Ride” campaign. Here's all the details.
secretchicago.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:44 PM
😍
the discussion of the em dash alone 🤌🏻
Why Does A.I. Write Like … That?
www.nytimes.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:46 PM
the discussion of the em dash alone 🤌🏻
😭😭 "The study suggests that crickets—and likely many other insects—cannot distinguish plastic from food."
Crickets consume polyethylene microplastics when the particles fit their mouth size, breaking them into smaller fragments that may contribute to environmental nanoplastic pollution. doi.org/hbdbpm
Crickets munch on microplastics—especially if they have a big mouth
To a human, microplastics are very small at less than 5 millimeters (mm) wide. But to an insect, microplastics might be the same size as the food they usually eat.
phys.org
December 3, 2025 at 6:55 PM
😭😭 "The study suggests that crickets—and likely many other insects—cannot distinguish plastic from food."
Come hear my brilliant @sightline.org colleague @trufahey.bsky.social share new research on how to talk about parking reform! This Wednesday afternoon, 12/3, w @dpherriges.bsky.social @jamalraad.bsky.social @parkingreform.org
Introducing the Parking Reform Messaging Guide · Zoom · Luma
The Parking Reform Network has partnered with the Welcoming Neighbors Network and Sightline Institute to create a new, research-backed guide to crafting…
luma.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Come hear my brilliant @sightline.org colleague @trufahey.bsky.social share new research on how to talk about parking reform! This Wednesday afternoon, 12/3, w @dpherriges.bsky.social @jamalraad.bsky.social @parkingreform.org
Reposted by Serena Larkin
“… one of the things that immediately jumped off the page for me when I was reading your book is the fact that, by square footage, there is more housing for each car in this country than there is housing for each person.”
www.npr.org/transcripts/...
www.npr.org/transcripts/...
How parking explains everything : Consider This from NPR
No matter how you measure it, there is a lot of parking in the U.S. According to some estimates there are as many as six parking spaces for every car. Put another way, America devotes more square foot...
www.npr.org
December 1, 2025 at 4:46 AM
“… one of the things that immediately jumped off the page for me when I was reading your book is the fact that, by square footage, there is more housing for each car in this country than there is housing for each person.”
www.npr.org/transcripts/...
www.npr.org/transcripts/...
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Early Morning
📷Diana Popescu
📷Diana Popescu
November 30, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Early Morning
📷Diana Popescu
📷Diana Popescu
Reposted by Serena Larkin
On #GivingTuesday, there’s no better time to make a difference for the men and women who feed this country.
act.seiu.org/a/givingtues... #WeFeedYou
act.seiu.org/a/givingtues... #WeFeedYou
December 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM
On #GivingTuesday, there’s no better time to make a difference for the men and women who feed this country.
act.seiu.org/a/givingtues... #WeFeedYou
act.seiu.org/a/givingtues... #WeFeedYou
Cool cool. Just the biggest purchase most ppl are making in their lives, depending on for retirement, etc.
People trying to sell you houses at high prices don't want you to know about their climate risks (or other inconvenient numbers). Buyer beware.
Gift link to my column for @opinion.bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Gift link to my column for @opinion.bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Erasing a Home’s Risks on Zillow Doesn’t Make Them Go Away
We live in a golden age of magical thinking, and I’m not just talking about the trillions of dollars being burned on artificial intelligence. When it comes to our rapidly heating planet and its effect...
www.bloomberg.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Cool cool. Just the biggest purchase most ppl are making in their lives, depending on for retirement, etc.
Speaking of 'affordability'...
In light of policy arguments over the cost of climate action, a trio of economists ask: how much is climate change costing Americans right now? heatmap.news/economy/clim...
Climate Change Is Already Costing U.S. Households Up to $900 Per Year
A new working paper from a trio of eminent economists tallies the effects of warming — particularly extreme weather — on Americans’ budgets.
heatmap.news
December 2, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Speaking of 'affordability'...
Can't say it enough:
"The math is in, and the evidence is overwhelming: Plurality voting is broken. Ranked choice voting will not solve every democratic ailment, but it is a good step toward mending them." @us.theconversation.com
"The math is in, and the evidence is overwhelming: Plurality voting is broken. Ranked choice voting will not solve every democratic ailment, but it is a good step toward mending them." @us.theconversation.com
Ranked choice voting outperforms the winner-take-all system used to elect nearly every US politician
Ranked choice voting largely avoids the pitfalls of plurality voting, giving voters the power to express their true candidate preferences rather than being strategic.
theconversation.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Can't say it enough:
"The math is in, and the evidence is overwhelming: Plurality voting is broken. Ranked choice voting will not solve every democratic ailment, but it is a good step toward mending them." @us.theconversation.com
"The math is in, and the evidence is overwhelming: Plurality voting is broken. Ranked choice voting will not solve every democratic ailment, but it is a good step toward mending them." @us.theconversation.com
Oof, such a good read
@sierraclub.org's Kristin Henry: “We win on the law. We win on the economics. But sometimes we lose on the politics.”
@sierraclub.org's Kristin Henry: “We win on the law. We win on the economics. But sometimes we lose on the politics.”
In 2015, I wrote the first big article inside the war on coal for
@politico.com. Ten years later, I wrote about how the war is going for @canarymedia.com. The @sierraclub.org is still winning the war, but Trump and AI are complicating the endgame.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...
@politico.com. Ten years later, I wrote about how the war is going for @canarymedia.com. The @sierraclub.org is still winning the war, but Trump and AI are complicating the endgame.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...
Can the war on coal still be won?
Ten years ago, the U.S. was on track to phase out coal by 2030, thanks to the Sierra Club. Now Trump and AI are delaying the fuel’s decline.
www.canarymedia.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Oof, such a good read
@sierraclub.org's Kristin Henry: “We win on the law. We win on the economics. But sometimes we lose on the politics.”
@sierraclub.org's Kristin Henry: “We win on the law. We win on the economics. But sometimes we lose on the politics.”
shoveling should be a strava activity
November 29, 2025 at 9:42 PM
shoveling should be a strava activity
Yes YES plussss legalize more and smaller elevators!
Relegalize SROs. Relegalize single stair buildings to enable larger, family sized homes. Legalize townhomes everywhere. Legalize ADUs everywhere. Legalize apartment buildings in more places. Yes to all the homes.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/n...
The ‘New’ Solution for the N.Y.C. Housing Crisis: Single-Room Apartments
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Yes YES plussss legalize more and smaller elevators!
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Let’s email 🤓 Want to be first to view our latest research, hear directly from our program leads, or stay informed with our hand-picked news service? We’ve got you: sightline.org/newsletters
November 21, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Let’s email 🤓 Want to be first to view our latest research, hear directly from our program leads, or stay informed with our hand-picked news service? We’ve got you: sightline.org/newsletters
Reposted by Serena Larkin
We don't talk enough about how permitting delays of transmission projects ends up on customers' utility bills.
Lawsuits drag out projects, which end up getting built anyway, for more money + higher utility profits!
New from @sightline.org
www.sightline.org/2025/11/20/t...
Lawsuits drag out projects, which end up getting built anyway, for more money + higher utility profits!
New from @sightline.org
www.sightline.org/2025/11/20/t...
The High Cost of Slow Permitting | Sightline Institute
Sluggish approval of Cascadian transmission projects inflates electricity bills and strands renewable energy.
www.sightline.org
November 21, 2025 at 6:44 PM
We don't talk enough about how permitting delays of transmission projects ends up on customers' utility bills.
Lawsuits drag out projects, which end up getting built anyway, for more money + higher utility profits!
New from @sightline.org
www.sightline.org/2025/11/20/t...
Lawsuits drag out projects, which end up getting built anyway, for more money + higher utility profits!
New from @sightline.org
www.sightline.org/2025/11/20/t...