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Stay up to date with the latest dispatches from Futurewise
Sunrise on the Skykomish River In 2024, all the Central Puget Sound counties (King, Pierce, Kitsap and Snohomish) have a deadline to produce an updated comprehensive plans. The work on these plans starts long before the final approval, and we’re … Continue reading
In the past months we introduced you to Sia Gaind and Seth Gebauer, two new members to our statewide team. This week, meet Francine Myles, the Campaign Intern in the Eastside area. Read more to get to know her! Share a little about … Continue reading
Aerial view of the Columbia River over Wenatchee with new apartment buildings along the river park To wrap up the year, I’m thrilled to share our 2023 impact report, highlighting all the amazing work we’ve done with folks like you … Continue reading
For the first time since 2017, Futurewise has a court case before the Washington State Supreme Court. The Washington State Supreme Court will hear a case brought by Futurewise and Friends of Sammamish Valley regarding the King County Adult Beverage … Continue reading
Sunrise over farms in North Bend (photo cred. Dave/Unsplash) Like the brilliant passing of Halley’s Comet or the noisy return of hungry cicadas, the coming of the comprehensive plan update to each Washington State city and county is a rare … Continue reading
On Wednesday November 8th, Futurewise hosted our campaign kick-off for the 2024 legislative session. A huge thank you to the 80+ volunteers and partners that joined, made signs, and signed up to volunteer in our upcoming December Week of Action. … Continue reading
Last month we introduced you to Sia Gaind, one of our new Campaign Interns. This week we’d love to introduce your to Seth Gebauer, our intern in the Tacoma area! Read on to learn more about him. Share a little about … Continue reading
Aerial view of Spokane On Monday, November 20th, the Spokane City Council voted unanimously to extend the Building Opportunity and Choices for All (BOCA) ordinance that legalizes different middle housing types in the city, and updates development regulations to make … Continue reading
For Our Future lobby day, Feb 2023 On November 8 we will be kicking off our legislative campaign for the 2024 session. Over the last few years, we have had great legislative success, passing major land use policies that address our … Continue reading
Sia Gaind – Futurewise Staff Spotlight! This past month we welcomed three new Campaign Interns to our statewide team! Over the next weeks, we’d love to introduce you to our newest team members and let you get to know them. … Continue reading
Marcella Buser, Futurewise State Organizer, getting interviewed for a student group’s campaign in 2018 I want to share the story of how I first got involved in advocacy. As Futurewise’s State Organizer, my job revolves around asking people to get … Continue reading
A Washington farm on his tractor For decades, Washington has been a bright spot for farmland preservation. Nationally, Washington is in the top two states for our policy response to protect agriculture and our success in preventing farmland conversion. However, recent trends … Continue reading
Futurewise is moving! After 15 years we are saying goodbye to our long-time Seattle office space at 816 2nd Ave. By September 1, we will be fully moved into a coworking space in the 1201 3rd Ave building. It’s a bit of a return … Continue reading
Office Building in Seattle’s International District, with the street car and a Metro bus in the foreground On July 5 2023, the Seattle City Council passed Council Bill 120591 and Council Bill 120581, two pieces of legislation that will remove barriers to affordable … Continue reading
Green field on a farm, with cows and a white barn in the background At Futurewise our work comes in cycles. That’s true in individual years. We kick off the year with the state legislative session. Then we prepare for … Continue reading
Streetscape in Redmond WA, featuring a red floral mural Wow, we’re already halfway through 2023. Now that we’ve officially reached the summer solstice, we wanted to give some short updates on what Futurewise staff are up to around the state. … Continue reading
This past legislative session, Futurewise organized with thousands of you to pass HB 1110 to legalize middle housing types like duplexes and courtyard apartments in neighborhoods across Washington. This is transformational legislation that only passed because of the hard … Continue reading
Pierce County Transit Bus on a sunny fall day Futurewise has appealed a new zoning regulation in Pierce County that would allow shared housing developments and modify the density bonuses in the Residential Resource zones in the Parkland, Spanaway, and … Continue reading
Futurewise staff, board and partners in front of solar panels holding signs that read “Washington Leads on Climate” We are winning!! It feels good to say that and savor the moment. Yesterday Governor Inslee signed HB 1181 into law, adding … Continue reading
Futurewise organizer Marcella Buser and supporters on the steps of the Capitol Wow wow folks, we made it! And unlike 2022’s nail biter, this session was relatively smooth sailing to the finish line. We’re so grateful to have had you … Continue reading
Well, we are finally here. Yesterday was Sine Die, which means it is the last day of the 2023 legislative session. A monumental moment indeed! We have some final things you can do to wrap this all up. Read on … Continue reading
After 13 weeks of emails, calls, late nights, early mornings, ups and downs, we are at the FINAL week of the 2023 legislative session! This past week had the last major cutoff before Sine Die (the last day of session) … Continue reading
Great news: the Washington Department of Commerce this month adopted new rules determining that farmland of statewide importance soils are now considered to have long-term commercial significance for the designation of agricultural land of long-term commercial significance. This literally increases … Continue reading
Wow, a lot has happened! HB1181, our climate planning in the GMA bill, passed the Senate floor last Friday! A huge thank you to everyone who has taken action, as well as Senator Lovelett and Representative Duerr for their leadership. Next … Continue reading
Aparment Building Construction. Photo by Doug Trumm, The Urbanist Futurewise supports inclusionary zoning. We’ve heard some confusion about this recently and wanted to take the opportunity to clarify our position. Futurewise has been advocating for inclusionary zoning for many years. … Continue reading
We had a busy week and it’s getting busier! This Tuesday, April 4th, is the Fiscal cutoff! We need our bills to make it through, which is where you come in. Once our bills make it through, we enter the final … Continue reading
In 2020, Futurewise and our local partner, Friends of Grays Harbor, filed an appeal to the Shoreline Hearings Board of the Grays Harbor County Shoreline Master Program. Now three years and many hearings later, we’re taking that case all the … Continue reading
Well, another round of cutoffs is here and we need you to take action. This week, our bills need to be voted out of their respective Policy Committees by this Wednesday, March 29th. Specifically, we need HB 1181 and SB … Continue reading
Wow, what a busy week! We had hearings on all of our bills, TWO more scheduled for vote in committees, and daylight savings started. Things are moving much quicker now that we are only a week and a half away … Continue reading
Since 2019, Futurewise has been working with our local partners, Friends of Sammamish Valley on the King County Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries Ordinance. Originally adopted by the King County Council in January 2020, the ordinance was appealed by Futurewise and … Continue reading
Join Futurewise for our 2023 Livable Communities Spring Celebration! Join us for an evening on the farm to celebrate our collective work to protect Washington’s farms, forests and wildlife habitat from sprawl and to advance equitable, just and climate resilient … Continue reading
I want to start off by saying thank you. Because of your continual action, all our bills are alive and passed the March 8th cutoff! This is a monumental victory! We can dive in more later. As has been the … Continue reading
We are now in the second half of the 2023 legislative session! Last Wednesday, March 8th, was the last day for bills to get a floor vote in their respective chamber and to be voted out. It is a critical … Continue reading
We are truly in the Floor Vote Frenzy. Things are happening fast! Votes can happen at any minute, lasting for hours, and as of writing this, we are still pushing to get our bills past the March 8th cut off. … Continue reading
We got some great news this week! Our bills are in a good position before the first major cutoff that is coming up. We are now in the Floor Vote Frenzy! We have just a few actions for you — … Continue reading
On Wednesday, February 8, Futurewise made their way to Olympia for the For Our Future lobby day! Thank you to all our volunteers who joined us! It was exciting to be in the thick of things in Olympia, making sure our lawmakers … Continue reading
Thanks to all of you for the work you’ve done so far! We are feeling good about where we are because of you. This week, we’ve been preparing for our first major cutoff that is coming up soon! We have … Continue reading
What a week! From a successful lobby day to some big milestones, we are feeling good. However, the countdown is on! We’re just a few weeks away from the deadline to pass our priority bills out of their house of … Continue reading
Can you believe we are already in February? Session is going by fast for us here, and this upcoming week is going to be action packed! Check it out: Vote YES for HB 1110 Our Middle Housing bill, HB 1110, … Continue reading
Screenshot of a tweet our Racial Equity Committee Chair, Sarah Myhre, posted of her dog during our 2022 Board Retreat. Y’all. This is Flash in a @FuturewiseWA board meeting. She is a housing, land use, climate, energy, equity, and justice dog support … Continue reading
Another Sunday is here, and that means another set of actions! We have good momentum going thanks to you and all the actions you’ve taken, so thank you! Let’s keep it up; here is what is coming up this week! … Continue reading
4,306 people signed-in PRO for HB 1181, SB 5203, & HB 1110 What a week it has been for us and we’re only entering week 3 of the legislative session! 😅 First off, We just want to say a big … Continue reading
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Our first week is done which means it is time for our first action alert of the 2023 legislative session! We have a very big day next Tuesday, January 17th, with three hearings scheduled on the same … Continue reading
ID: Light rail train on track in between two sets of apartment buildings, blue sky with clouds in the background. Alright everybody — it’s official! The 2023 Washington legislative session starts tomorrow, and Futurewise is here to be your voice … Continue reading
Red, Snow-Covered, 2002 Toyota Tacoma Planning Climate Resilient Neighborhoods Needs to Be Washington State’s Next Climate Policy Priority My partner Matthew is thinking about selling his Toyota Tacoma truck. It’s 20 years old, but he’s kept it in good shape. … Continue reading
Photo by Leandre Chastagnier Futurewise Celebrates the Affordable Housing Design Review Exemption in Seattle (CB 1204646) After nearly two years of policy work and advocacy, we would like to celebrate the passage of CB 120464 in Seattle, which temporarily exempts affordable housing … Continue reading
Week of Action Dec 11 -16 December Week of Action– which events can you attend? There’s only a few more weeks until the beginning of the legislative session! That’s a small window for us to raise visibility and support on … Continue reading
Photo by Duncan Shaffer It has been over two years now since our country was rocked by the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by Minneapolis police. The Black Lives Matter protests that swept the nation in the following … Continue reading
Futurewise 2023 Legislative Campaign: For Our Future On Tuesday November 15th, Futurewise hosted their campaign kick-off for the 2023 legislative session. We want to thank every volunteer, partner, and ally who joined us! We also want to thank Representative Davina … Continue reading
Marcella Buser – Futurewise Staff Spotlight! We want to introduce everyone to our new State Organizer, Marcella Buser! In doing so, we asked Marcella some great questions to learn more about her. Share a little about your story! I grew … Continue reading
Photo of Spokane. Photo Credit: Timothy Eberly Another month has come and gone, and as someone who loves data, I always looked forward to regularly scheduled data releases in August and September. For many years, these new data releases were … Continue reading
After 2+ years of pandemic and zoom meetings, this summer has been a great opportunity to travel around the state and visit local partners and supporters to experience the issues we are working on firsthand. From Port Angeles to Okanogan … Continue reading
Photo of Bus Line 7 stop in Colombia City. Photo Credit: Futurewise You may have heard about Seattle and its comprehensive plan wondering what it is and what it has to do with you. Futurewise is here to give a … Continue reading
Updated June 2023: Victory before the Growth Management Hearings Board! The Growth Management Hearings Board concluded that Snohomish County’s new ADU regulations violated the Growth Management Act regulations for conserving agricultural lands and the requirement to comply with the countywide planning … Continue reading
Image of city skyline surrounded by forests and mountain peaks reading WA Can’t Wait WA Can’t Wait 2022 Legislative Session Wrap-Up In the blink of an eye, the 2022 WA Legislative Session has come and gone. Despite the devastating, 11th hour death … Continue reading
Futurewise is excited to host Jerusalem Demsas and Heidi Groover for a Housing Power Hour in a few weeks! Join us on Tuesday, April 5th at 5 PM for a debrief on the 2022 legislative session and a preview of what’s next for housing and … Continue reading
Image of livable, inclusive community titled Legislative Update Futurewise Final Legislative Update: HB 1099 Dies With Minutes to Go It is with profound disappointment that I write you with the news that HB 1099, our landmark bill to add climate … Continue reading
Image of livable, inclusive community titled Legislative Update We’ve never been this close to victory… With just days left in the 2022 legislative session, I’m excited to share that we are on the verge of victory for all of our … Continue reading
HB 1099 is built on consensus supported by housing advocates, environmental justice groups, unions, local governments, state agencies, tribes, and more. We have collaborated for a year and a half on this legislation for a shared vision of responsible, just, … Continue reading
The vesting loophole in Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) results in failure to prevent the development of suburban sprawl. (Credit: Robert Couse-Baker) This article was originally published in The Urbanist How a major loophole in the Growth Management Act has … Continue reading
Image of livable, inclusive community titled Legislative Update Week 8 Legislative Update: Down to the wire We are in the final stretch. Within days, our priority legislation will be up for votes on the Senate and House floors. By Friday, … Continue reading
Week 7 Legislative Update: Halfway there We’re officially in the second half of this year’s legislative session and I’m very happy to share that all three of our priority bills (HB 1099, SB 5042 and HB 1769) are all still alive and kicking … Continue reading
Image of livable, inclusive community titled Legislative Update Love is in the air – that is, love for our climate, our farms and our future! We’re quickly approaching the cut off date for bills to pass out of their house … Continue reading
Image 1: Duplex in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Image 2: Map of Seattle lots that are currently zoned single family and are near frequent transit. Yellow denotes the lots that are larger than 4,500 square feet and red denotes the lots … Continue reading
Image of livable, inclusive community titled Legislative Update We’re reaching the halfway point of the 2022 legislative session, which is why I’m so pleased to share that we’re ahead of schedule to add climate to the GMA and close the GMA sprawl … Continue reading
Image of livable, inclusive community titled Legislative Update We’ve got a pretty short update this week and here’s why: another one of our priority bills, SB 5042, passed out of the Senate! 🎉🎉🎉 SB 5042 is our bill to close a nasty loophole … Continue reading
It’s official: HB 1099, our climate update to the GMA, officially passed out of the House of Representatives! Let’s take a moment to celebrate. 🎉🎉🎉So what happens now? In the short term, we get a bit of a breather. HB 1099 now … Continue reading
Here is our most up-to-date list of articles and op-eds written about our 2022 WA Can’t Wait Campaign: Articles The Bellingham Herald Crosscut The Urbanist The Bellingham Herald The Seattle Times The Urbanist The Urbanist The Washington Observer Op-Eds and … Continue reading
The Washington state legislature convened this week for the start of the 2022 legislative session. As a reminder, the 2022 session is what’s called a “short” session, meaning we have just 60 days to pass our priority legislation. Things are … Continue reading
Today marks the first day of the 2022 legislative session and Futurewise is here to win. We’re here to finish what we started in 2021, as well as highlight some new priorities for you to follow. It’s a short session … Continue reading
mage of diverse walkable and bikeable community with text reading Legislative Update Today marks the first day of the 2022 legislative session and Futurewise is here to win. We’re here to finish what we started in 2021, as well as … Continue reading
Image: Aerial shot of farm plots in the Sammamish Valley The Growth Management Hearings Board rules in favor of Futurewise and Friends of Sammamish Valley’s appeal of the King County wineries, breweries and distilleries ordinance. In 2019, King County adopted … Continue reading
For the past 30 years, Futurewise has successfully protected farmland in Washington state by containing growth through the implementation of the Growth Management Act. For the last two years we’ve suggested the City of Pasco not encroach farms, but to … Continue reading
Get on board to shape Washington’s future Futurewise is Washington’s only non-profit that works statewide on land use issues. Our work crosses the urban/rural divide—we encourage growth in cities to create healthy, affordable, low-carbon communities and we protect our state’s … Continue reading
During the week of December 6th, advocates across the state will take action to contact their legislators, urging them to update our state’s Growth Management Act to meet today’s biggest challenges. By pledging to join our WA Can’t Wait Week … Continue reading
Washington State Supreme Court decides not to review Futurewise win to protect farmland in Ferry County On October 6, 2020, the Washington State Supreme Court denied Ferry County’s request that the court review the court of appeals decision concluding that … Continue reading
Climate Change: HB 1099 Pass HB1099 to ensure Washington cities and counties are planning for climate-resilient communities while reducing our contributions to the climate crisis. Check out the one-pager. We don’t have any time to waste. Another summer of heatwaves, smoke, … Continue reading
Futurewise recently settled our appeal of the Pierce County Centers and Corridors comprehensive plan update and we’re proud to share that the county addressed all of our concerns! Let’s back up a minute. What exactly was Pierce County proposing? Pierce … Continue reading
This article was originally published in The Urbanist This is the third installment of a three-part series that explains what the Growth Management Act Vesting Loophole is, what it looks like in practice, and how Futurewise is working to fix the … Continue reading
A empty parcel sits for sale in a suburban development in Five Mile Prairie in Spokane County. Despite landslide risks and critical habitat in the area, the vesting loophole has allowed some building permits to proceed forward. (Credit: Keller Williams … Continue reading
It’s a very special year for Futurewise. This year marks Tim Trohimovich’s 20th anniversary with us! Tim serves as Futurewise’s Director of Planning and Law and is our in-house legal counsel. You might know Tim from his many victories in front of the … Continue reading
Image Description: Long Beach at sunset by Andrew Sprague. A sandy beach is in the foreground and the sky is soft pink and blue. Shoreline Master Programs Over the past year, Futurewise has been hard at work to strengthen and … Continue reading
Futurewise is currently nominating cities and counties in Washington for complete streets award funding from the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB). Qualified cities and counties can download our 2021 nomination form here. We are particularly interested in assisting rural areas with … Continue reading
Along with our partners, we are excited to announce the launch of King County for Everyone (KC4E), a broad coalition network of organizations and individuals working to build a future where everyone, regardless of income level or background, has access … Continue reading
At Futurewise, we believe that everyone deserves to live in dignified, safe, and affordable housing, that we must do everything we can to protect our communities and environment from the worst impacts of climate change, and that in doing all … Continue reading
We’re officially past the opposite chamber deadline for legislation to pass: here’s what we’ve accomplished together. Housing Justice Passes the Senate I am so incredibly proud to share that HB 1220 – our housing justice update to the GMA that prevents … Continue reading
You know that part of the superhero movie, toward the end when it seems like the heroes are outnumbered and outgunned? We know that our heroes will win in the end, but at that moment, it’s not clear how. That’s … Continue reading
It’s official: both HB 1099 and HB 1220 have cleared the next hurdle in their journey to the governor’s desk, passing out of the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee last week. Now both bills are in the Senate Ways … Continue reading
After wrapping up our second Week of Action, we’re back to the grind to make sure HB 1099 and HB 1220 make it out of committee this week. Here’s the scoop: Celebrating another successful Week of Action Thank you, thank … Continue reading
It’s official: we’re halfway through the legislative session. Only 44 days left to pass our Washington Can’t Wait campaign priorities. With that in mind, let’s dive right in! Join us for our Week of Action! We’re rallying supporters every day … Continue reading
We’ve got some very, very good news to share. Drumroll please…. 🎉🎉 HB 1220 and HB 1099 are on their way to the Senate!! 🎉🎉 We launched the Washington Can’t Wait campaign last fall with grand ambitions: to pass the biggest updates to the … Continue reading
Welcome to Week 8! We’re pressing up against a deadline – March 9th – to get all three Futurewise bills (SB 5042, HB 1099, and HB 1220) passed out of their house of origin. This week’s legislative update is focused on what you can do to get … Continue reading
We’re in week 7 of the legislative session and we’re calling on all of our supporters to help us make sure that SB 5042, Futurewise’s GMA vesting bill, and HB 1099, Futurewise’s climate GMA bill, keep moving! Can you take two quick actions … Continue reading
Welcome to the sixth legislative update from Futurewise’s Washington Can’t Wait Campaign! The session continues to fly by and we are thrilled to announce that both HB1099 and HB1220 have been voted out of their policy committees and are now in the House Committee on … Continue reading
We’re back with another legislative update! The first thing to note: we’re just one week away from our first major legislative deadline. February 15th marks the cutoff for bills to be passed out of a policy committee in order to continue … Continue reading
Welcome to our weekly legislative update. The session continues to move along at an often unpredictable pace, and we will continue to do our best to keep you informed on where our priority legislation sits in the process. Quick Bill … Continue reading
Welcome to our first legislative update for the Washington Can’t Wait Campaign and Futurewise’s other legislative priorities! Stay tuned for a new post every Monday to get information on our priorities as our various bills move through the legislature and any relevant calls to action that … Continue reading
Welcome to our third week of session! Our first order of business is to give a big virtual round of applause to the 271 people who signed in “pro” or provided written testimony for our first committee hearing for HB 1099. We … Continue reading
Session is officially in swing! Here at Futurewise, we’re keeping all our supporters in the loop about top land-use priorities, as well as other important legislation that we think you should know about. Let’s kick off with a big thank you … Continue reading
Washington Can’t Wait Campaign supporters from across the state have been writing and submitting incredible op-eds and letters to the editor in support of updating the Growth Management Act to address climate change, housing affordability, and environmental justice. Below you … Continue reading
If there is anything that the wildfires this summer have taught us, it is that climate change has arrived at our doorstep in Washington and we are running out of time to take substantive action on an issue that is having … Continue reading
If there is anything that the wildfires this summer have taught is, it is that climate change has arrived at our doorstep in Washington and we are running out of time to take substantive action. We believe that by making our urban areas … Continue reading
Futurewise is launching our Washington Can’t Wait Campaign to fight for action on climate change, environmental justice and affordable housing by passing the biggest changes to the Growth Management Act in three decades. Please join us for our Campaign Kickoff on Thursday, September … Continue reading
Originally published at The Urbanist On Tuesday, July 21st, Futurewise hosted Addie Candib, Pacific Northwest Regional Director of American Farmland Trust for a conversation about the threatened state of farmland in Washington. You can watch our entire conversation on the Futurewise … Continue reading
Watch a virtual panel discussion with emerging leaders from Olympia, Port Angeles and Pasco. We’re talking about housing affordability, farmland protection and what big cities can learn from their smaller neighbors. Dani Madrone (Olympia City Council) helped lead the fight for … Continue reading
Futurewise stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and protesters across America rising up to fight police brutality and demand health, safety, and freedom for the Black community. As our country confronts the racial injustice and violence of our … Continue reading
Growth Management Hearings Board concludes that the King County Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries Ordinance violates state laws to protect the environment On March 26, 2020, the Growth Management Hearings Board (Board) granted Futurewise’s and the Friends of the Sammamish Valley’s … Continue reading
Lessons in Intergenerational Organizing from Olympia We’re all socially distancing here in Washington but last week we convened a group of land use leaders in Olympia for a discussion about how to successfully bridge generational divides in urbanist organizing. In … Continue reading
Futurewise Executive Director Alex Brennan joined national transit leaders for a moderated discussion about how the Covid-19 crisis is impacting transit and mobility. Check it out Moderator: Alex Hudson, Executive Director, Transportation Choices Coalition Panelists (see panelists bios below): Alex … Continue reading
We’re back with another Futurewise dispatch! This week we’re featuring our Livable Communities program, with Tiernan Martin, Livable Communities Manager, and Cameron Steinback, Livable Communities Coordinator. We talk about the challenges of community engagement during a pandemic and what we’re … Continue reading
Here in Washington, we’re entering our third week of the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to prevent the spread of coronavirus in our communities. While everyone is stuck at home, we’re going to be sharing weekly dispatches from our … Continue reading
Check out our 30th anniversary retrospective of the Growth Management Act and Futurewise’s victories.
Futurewise and Zero Waste Washington are jointly seeking a part-time Full Charge Bookeeper to support the great work of both our organizations. Full Charge Bookkeeper Job Description General Job Description Futurewise: 20 hours/week Zero Waste Washington: 4 hours/week Under the … Continue reading
The Story Behind HB 2427, the GMA Climate Goal Bill At Futurewise, we believe that local government planning needs to more directly address climate change. We need planning that helps us reduce emissions, especially from transportation, and we need planning … Continue reading
Last week we were thrilled to share that the Washington State House of Representatives is leading on climate by passing HB 2427, a new bill that would add a climate goal to the GMA and require our state’s largest counties … Continue reading
On 30th Anniversary of Growth Management Act, Washington State Could Become One of the First to Require Local Planning for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation On Sunday, February 16, the Washington State House passed HB 2427 which would add a climate change … Continue reading
We are now 3 weeks into this year’s short legislative session. At this point, most of the bills we are tracking have gotten a hearing and we are a week away from crucial decisions about which bills make it out … Continue reading
Join the Futurewise team as one of our Livable Communities Coordinators! Futurewise Livable Communities Coordinator Position General Job Description Start date: April 1, 2020 Part-time (24-32 hours/week) Temporary position (April 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020) but an extension will be considered This … Continue reading
Last year, Futurewise was excited to support HB 1923, a bill out of the state legislature that encouraged more housing options across Washington state and provided planning dollars to municipalities who committed to changing development regulations or adopting housing action … Continue reading
The 2020 legislative session kicked off on Monday! We have a short session — just 60 days — to accomplish some big goals. Below we’re sharing our top priorities along with some bills to watch. Land Use/GMA Goal – State and … Continue reading
Wonkabout Washington is back after a brief hiatus and we’re wrapping up the year with an exceptionally wonky topic that has broad impacts for land use law and tenant rights regulations across Washington. That’s right, we’re talking this month about … Continue reading
Together we can be bold. We’re at a critical moment in our state’s history. Our aquatic ecosystems are at the breaking point, reflected in the dire straits of our local salmon runs and resident orcas. Greenhouse gas emissions have started rising … Continue reading
Futurewise and Skyway Solutions Advocate for Equity in Skyway Subarea Plan As the King County Council considers a draft of the Skyway-West Hill Land Use Subarea plan, Futurewise and Skyway Solutions are asking the council to consider a set … Continue reading
Futurewise is excited to announce that Alex Brennan will be joining the organization as our new Executive Director! For the past year and a half, Alex has served as a Board member for Futurewise, most recently as Vice President of … Continue reading
Keeping an Equity Focus for SEPA Reform in Seattle This year’s legislative session saw the passage of a major bill, House Bill 1923 that aims to transform zoning and density in communities across Washington state. HB 1923 encourages cities to … Continue reading
For almost 30 years, Futurewise has worked to encourage sustainable natural and built environments by using the policy, advocacy and legal tools available through Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA). We have great appreciation for the GMA framework, however, we … Continue reading
Dear Supporters of Futurewise, I’m writing to inform you that our Executive Director, Chris Wierzbicki, has resigned from Futurewise effective July 30th. Chris was offered a position as the Public Works Director for the City of Bainbridge Island (where he … Continue reading
In this month’s Wonkabout Washington, we’re diving into amendments to four of Pierce County’s subarea plans. Specifically, we’re examining the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for amended Community Plans for South Hill, Mid-County, Frederickson and Parkland-Spanaway-Midland, which make up the central … Continue reading
Futurewise is pushing the advisory group to use an equity lens in high-speed rail planning. As The Urbanist recently reported, Washington state is moving forward with funding studies for an interstate high-speed rail line corridor between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon. … Continue reading
We’re pleased to announce that HB 1923 passed both the House and Senate yesterday – the final version of the bill closely reflects the summary that we offered in our blog post of April 12th. Even though the bill has weaknesses – particularly … Continue reading
Snohomish County Reconsiders Developing Channel Migration Zones The Growth Management Act, including the Shoreline Master Program, touches many different land use issues in many different parts of the state. Futurewise works with local partners across Washington who keep us informed … Continue reading
While we wait for our priority bill, HB 1923 to make it out of the Senate after some minor language changes, here’s an update on the status of some of the other bills we have been supporting in Olympia in … Continue reading
Benton County is the second fastest growing county in all of Washington state. As the County welcomes thousands of new residents each year, we as a community have a responsibility to plan wisely for growth. County residents want to protect … Continue reading
Futurewise and partners at the Seattle City Council hearing on parking legislation Imagine a policy that could help lower the cost of rent, relieve congestion, reduce our transportation emissions and air pollution, and also improve bicycle parking. By changing Seattle’s … Continue reading
We have been working hard in Olympia over the last couple of weeks to shape HB 1923 into legislation that aligns our growth strategy goals and values: advancing equitable, affordable in-fill development in cities that offer access to opportunity and … Continue reading
There’s only about five weeks remaining in the legislative session at this point, and we are continuing to track the twists and turns of our priority bills. As we mentioned last week, HB 1923 is presently deconstructed and awaiting a hearing next … Continue reading
The update from Olympia today finds our priority bill, HB1923, in a precarious position. This past week the bill moved out of the House, and onto the Senate – but with a host of watered-down provisions, including the following: (for an … Continue reading
Next week, we’ll be celebrating community leaders from across Washington at our Spring Luncheon and Livable Communities Awards. Each year, Futurewise honors those who are working to make our state a more sustainable, equitable and vibrant place to live. This … Continue reading
Today we are throwing our support behind two very important bills, 2SHB 1923 and SB 5812, in the hopes they make progress this week. We’re going to focus in this post primarily on 2SHB 1923, which aims to increase urban residential density through a … Continue reading
On Tuesday, March 19th, Futurewise is welcoming activist scholar Dr. Lisa K. Bates, Ph.D. as our Keynote Speaker for the Spring Luncheon and Livable Communities Awards. Dr. Bates will be speaking on the topic “Housing Justice, not for ‘Just Us’”, … Continue reading
Futurewise has worked with City of Seattle staff for several years, providing input on policy regarding Accessory Dwelling Units. We’re excited to see the regulatory barriers on building Accessory Dwelling Units in Seattle easing. The current requirements have restricted the … Continue reading
Our work in Olympia slows just a bit this coming week, as cutoff for policy-focused bills just occurred. While at this point in time we can’t quite guarantee the status on each of the bills we’ve been tracking, here are … Continue reading
Thanks for tuning in to this week for an update on Futurewise legislative actions. Next week will be the last week for committee hearings on policy-focused bills, meaning that all bills that aren’t moved out of committee by next Friday … Continue reading
Thanks for following us as we engage on the bills this session that resonate with (or against) our organizational values. Here are the bills up for testimony this coming week: HB 1584 – Restricting the availability of state funds for regional … Continue reading
Thanks for keeping up with us as this fourth week of the 2019 legislative session is almost behind us. Coming up next week are a host of new bills and issues we will be testifying on: SB 5382 – Concerning tiny … Continue reading
In addition to the bills we reported on last week, we’re presently keeping our eye on a few more that are coming into focus: SB 5372 – Concerning local project review of permit application Bill Summary: This bill requires local jurisdictions respond … Continue reading
Futurewise to Appeal Ferry County Agricultural Land Designation Futurewise, along with our partner Concerned Friends of Ferry County, have decided to appeal Ferry County’s agricultural land designations to the Appeals Court, in hopes of bringing Ferry County into compliance with … Continue reading
The 2019 Washington State Legislative session opened with a host of land-use and growth management issues that we’re working to weigh in on. Here is a quick rundown of the issues we are focusing on this week: SB 5195 – Providing … Continue reading
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Monday is the first day of the 2019 Washington State legislative session, and Futurewise is preparing to engage on a host of important issues related to land-use and transportation. We have been carefully developing our priorities this year, as Democrats … Continue reading
In spite of many challenges, 2017 has been a year of wins and progress for growth management across Washington. Take a a look at some of what your support has made happen: We worked all over the state… The counties … Continue reading
To our supporters, Nearly every day I think about the future we’re building for children like my two sons, ages 6 and 8. This past year was particularly difficult, as we faced unprecedented challenges at the federal level for ensuring … Continue reading
In 2018, Futurewise continued our work across Washington to advance livable communities while protecting our state’s most valuable natural resources. Here’s just a few of our top victories from the past year: Mobilized Action for Affordable Housing in Seattle … Continue reading
Futurewise is hiring for two positions — a Water Resources Project Coordinator and an Events and Communications Intern. Check out the job descriptions below for more information. Water Resources Project Coordinator Events and Communications Intern
This October, Futurewise brought together state and local agency stakeholders for a day-long convening focused on the use of innovative financing and funding approaches for solving environmental challenges. Field experts from across the county – from Maryland, to Chicago to … Continue reading
This October, Futurewise will be hosting a convening on innovative financing tools such as pay for success, credit trading, environmental impact bonds, and community-based public private partnerships – with the hopes of inspiring local governments and agencies to start thinking … Continue reading
Many of our communities publicly owned land that is no longer a necessity; with our State’s desperate need for more affordable housing, it makes sense for jurisdictions to sell that excess land to below market rate for the production of … Continue reading
On August 14, 2018, the Pierce County Council voted to double amount of working farmland county policy will conserve long-term. The recent Pierce County Fresh Look report concluded that “[t]here’s near-consensus support for protecting Pierce County’s best farmland and sustaining the economic … Continue reading
Wow, what a great night! We were thrilled to see over 100 people turn out to learn about Woody Guthrie and the Grand Coulee Dam, and listen to music from local artists Trentalange, Matt Tilghman-Havens, and Naomi Wachira. Greg Vandy, … Continue reading
Futurewise is serving on the Advisory Committee for the Ultra High-Speed Ground Transportation Study – a WSDOT effort to investigate intercity passenger transportation system traveling at speeds of 250 mph or more between Vancouver, BC and Portland, OR (with several … Continue reading
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife is updating their recommendations for scientifically sound management of riparian ecosystems (rivers, streams and surrounding areas). Futurewise largely supports these changes and the attached comment letter outlines our suggestions for improving them … Continue reading
For over a year, Futurewise has been leading the outreach work for the Seattle for Everyone Coalition’s support of the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA). Within the HALA are 65 distinct policy recommendations that work together to address the … Continue reading
Last week, Outreach Coordinator Angela Compton traveled to Yakima with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA) to facilitate a workshop on Storytelling for Advocacy at the 2018 Conference for Ending Homelessness. Having experienced homelessness and housing instability herself, Angela … Continue reading
Futurewise partnered with S4E and Welcoming West Seattle to host a panel discussion for Affordable Housing Week 2018. The discussion was held at Southwest Youth and Family Services in West Seattle and covered the topics of transit oriented development and … Continue reading
Futurewise is excited to announce that the Tacoma City Council voted unanimously to approve the Tacoma Mall Subarea Plan on Tuesday, May 15. The plan is an innovative example of smart urban growth, including increases in transportation access, implementation of affordable housing … Continue reading
Futurewise is helping coordinate the 2018 Stormfest in Des Moines Beach Park. Stormfest is an interactive stormwater science festival that provides experiential field lesson to 6th grade students from the Highline School District. We are seeking volunteers to work on June … Continue reading
On April 27th, the Sound Transit Board updated the agency transit oriented development (TOD) policies to implement equitable transit oriented development (eTOD) and adopted a plan that allows for land to be discounted for affordable housing. This is the culmination … Continue reading
The Mall Subarea Plan has the potential for transforming a critical Tacoma neighborhood into a model of positive urban growth, as well as implementing ground-breaking policies that could influence planning in other areas of the city. Futurewise supports the policies … Continue reading
As part of our collaboration with the City of Algona and the Algona Public Awareness Action Coalition (APAC), Futurewise has kicked off Grow with Algona and we have gotten some great environmental stewardship projects literally in the ground! In just one day, … Continue reading
On April 19, 2018, Futurewise filed an appeal of the Benton County Comprehensive Plan on the grounds that sprawling development is unsustainable in rural areas without adequate planning for drinking water. The county’s comprehensive plan assumes the high end of state … Continue reading
Futurewise and partners at the Seattle City Council hearing on parking legislation Imagine a policy that could help lower the cost of rent, relieve congestion, reduce our transportation emissions and air pollution, and also improve bicycle parking. By changing Seattle’s … Continue reading
Futurewise is hiring in Tacoma! We are looking for a part-time Organizing and Outreach Manager to work on urban planning and policy advocacy in Tacoma – particularly support for affordable housing, transit-oriented development and green infrastructure. See the job description here.
StormFest is a unique 2-day, interactive, stormwater science focused educational festival for 6th grade students at Highline School District. Environmental Science Center is adapting the hands-on Drain Rangers curricula to create 5 different 25-minute innovative, in-field, experiential lessons focused on … Continue reading
A powerful new set of health and safety protections are coming to the renters of Kent, Washington. At its March 20 meeting, the Kent City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Rental Housing Inspection Ordinance before a packed audience. The … Continue reading
March 12, 2018 It was a short session this year, but a rather productive one. See some highlights below on the bills we worked to support and prevent this year. Passed Bills Futurewise Supported HB 2957 – Reducing escape of nonnative … Continue reading
A Note from Christopher Wierzbicki, Executive Director of Futurewise: A week from today on March 13th, Futurewise staff, board members, partners, supporters and friends will gather together at the Westin to bestow the 2018 Livable Communities Awards. More importantly, we’ll … Continue reading
With policy committee cutoff soon approaching on February 23rd, today it appears that we’re achieving success with our legislative agenda. First and foremost, we worked hard to eliminate all of the bad GMA bills this session – and some other … Continue reading
We’re getting a new database at Futurewise specifically designed to help organizations like ours “engage and change the world.” And while we couldn’t be happier, it is an exacting and complicated process to convert our files to the new format. … Continue reading
Last night – Thursday, January 18th – the Washington State Legislature effectively overturned the State Supreme Court Hirst decision by passing SB 6091. See our press release on this issue here. The impacts of SB 6091 will be felt across the state, as only … Continue reading
These are the bills we see coming forward next week in Olympia: HB 2503 We oppose this bill – Concerning zoning regulations relating to accessory dwelling units This bill seeks to amend the Growth Management Act (GMA) by amending RCW 43.63A.215 – … Continue reading
This was the first week of the 2018 Legislative Session, and we were hard at work reviewing and testifying on a number of bills. Here is a brief summary of some of the highlights: SB 6091 We opposed this bill – Ensuring … Continue reading
This week kicks off the 2018 Washington State Legislative Session, and Futurewise will be present in Olympia working to serve the people of our state by advocating for important land-use and environmental issues. This year, our proactive list of legislative … Continue reading
Futurewise works closely with legislators and partners every year during the legislative session to protect and enhance Washington State’s growth management laws. This year, our legislative agenda covers a wide range of urban livability and natural resource protection issues. … Continue reading
Futurewise lost a great friend and supporter in September. We were saddened to learn from our Spokane office of the passing of Elizabeth Cocchiarella due to pancreatic cancer. She lived life fully, gave generously and anonymously – and in this … Continue reading
On November 16th, the Seattle City Council will hold a public hearing on the University District re-zoning. Take a look at our action alert, and this FAQ on the what the re-zone means for the University District as well as for affordable housing overall in … Continue reading
It was but a year ago that I sent a message out to all of you, lamenting what had transpired the night before on election day 2016. We were eating doughnuts in the conference room – comforting one another, and … Continue reading
On October 23rd, Chuck Wolfe, environmental attorney and author of the forthcoming book “Seeing the Better City” joined Futurewise for a walking tour of the Kendall Yards and West Central neighborhoods in Spokane – and area poised for rapid urban … Continue reading
Are you a sharp, energetic self-starter with excellent communication and interpersonal skills? Do you know someone else who is? We’re seeking the perfect fit for a new team member who will educate and engage the public on the benefits of … Continue reading
The City of Pasco – one of the cities in the Tri-Cities region – was the 10th fastest growing city in Washington State last year. The city, as well as the region in general, is seeing a huge influx of … Continue reading
Posted at A Rushed “Fix” of Hirst Ruling Won’t Solve Water Woes — 9/13/2017 Counter to the narrative that has been pressed by opposition, the Washington State Supreme Court’s water-availability Hirst decision isn’t in need of a “fix.” What we … Continue reading
Futurewise Executive Director, Chris Wierzbicki, and Darcy Nonemacher, Government Affairs Director for the Washington Environmental Council talk with Diane Horn of KEXP about the wrap up of the 2017 legislative session on this “Sustainability Segment.” Click hereto listen.
Posted at Seattle Times – Op-Ed – Implement Hirst decision to allocate state’s water rights cautiously and fairly — 8/7/2017 The Hirst Decision applies common sense to our state’s growth and water resources. Read this piece by Timothly Ballew II, … Continue reading
Local legislators are frustrated with their inability to work through a negotiation on Hirst that would better plan water resources for rural communities. There are many paths forward that would continue to protect farms, wildlife and property owners.
With the closing of the 2017 legislative session on July 20th – after three overtime sessions – it’s clear that the people of Washington lost out to the power of special interests on a number of fronts. On the Hirst decision – … Continue reading
On June 21, 2017, Okanogan County Superior Court Judge Christopher Culp denied motions by Okanogan County to dismiss Futurewise and the Methow Valley Citizens Council appeals of the Okanogan County comprehensive plan and zoning regulations. If granted, these motions would … Continue reading
The next four years of Seattle’s City Council and Mayor’s Office will have a lot to contend with as our region continues to grow, especially in terms of housing and transportation. Come join us and other local groups to make your … Continue reading
If someone tells you the Growth Management Act is responsible for a housing shortage, do not believe them. According to just issued Census data, Washington State ranked sixth in the number of total building permits issued in 2016 – see a … Continue reading
As the federal administration is considering turning their backs on climate science with the potential pull-out of the Paris Climate Accord, Futurewise is recognizing that the impacts of climate disruption are very real, particularly as they relate to vulnerable communities. … Continue reading
Despite years of work on behalf of Futurewise and the Puyallup Watershed Initiative partners, and thousands of dollars of investment, the Pierce County Council is ready to scrap protections for local farms. This piece from King 5 tells the story. We’ll be … Continue reading
Believe it or not, I started out my career by determining how to best pave over farmland to make room for new big box retail stores. This was New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the late 1990’s, and the “birthplace of … Continue reading
On March 2, 2017, Futurewise hosted our annual spring fundraising event – which this year was a breakfast hosted at the Westin hotel in downtown Seattle. We were please to host 350 guests, and honor a number of partners with … Continue reading
Each year, Futurewise presents its Livable Communities Awards to programs and projects that are helping to make Washington State a better place for all. This year’s awards will be given out at our Spring Breakfast this Thursday, March 2 (register here), but … Continue reading
Futurewise scored a victory in this Growth Management Hearings Board case as Futurewise raised concerns that the county was planning for growth that wouldn’t have adequate access to water. Read at The Columbian »
It was truly an unprecedented day. Although an outside observer might think differently if they were to solely judge the day based on the actions taken by the Futurewise staff. Some of us came to work early and stared out … Continue reading
The work is just beginning! Together we can make Sound Transit 3 a successful investment – not just in transit – but for how the region tackles land-use and regional transportation that will combat the impacts of climate change. In the next … Continue reading
Futurewise staff is featured in this article that discusses how the Hirst decision is impacting development in the rural areas of Spokane County. Read at The Inlander » Posted In The Media
Futurewise participated in “scenario planning” with other state-wide transportation partners to determine how the Washington State Transportation Plan (WTP) could be updated to deal with an uncertain future. In accordance with the graphical image shown here, WSDOT determined that two … Continue reading
Futurewise’s Director of Planning and Law, Tim Trohimovich, was invited to speak at the Washington Section of the American Water Resources Association’s Annual State Conference on October 26, 2016. Tim’s presentation documented that the water levels in wells in Washington … Continue reading
The Naiads blog provides some insight into the “blockbuster” Hirst decision Read at Naiads Blog »
Jean Melious, the attorney who argued the Hirst decision before the Supreme Court, makes a common sense argument about the impacts. Read at Get Whatcom Planning »
On October 6, 2016, the Washington State Supreme Court concluded that Whatcom County’s “comprehensive plan does not protect water availability because it allows permit-exempt appropriations to impede minimum flows.” This decision builds on Futurewise’s 2011 win in the Kittitas County … Continue reading
Beginning this September, Futurewise is leading community outreach for the Seattle for Everyone coalition. The Seattle for Everyone coalition is built on a foundation of support for the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) and the “Grand Bargain” provisions that … Continue reading
Futurewise is featured in this article about our support for the Algona community through a King County Waterworks grant. Read at Auburn Reporter »