Futurewise’s 2025 Impact Report
Futurewise 2025 Impact Report
In the spring of 2009 I was living in California, finishing my master’s degree in city planning. In between studying for exams, I was reading about a legislative fight back home in Washington State to set minimum densities and affordable housing requirements around transit stations. The bill was HB 1490. The organization leading the charge was Futurewise. That year, HB 1490 failed to pass. But 16 years later, HB 1491 did pass- a new, bigger, bolder vision for transitoriented communities.
On this 35th Anniversary of the founding of Futurewise, the passage of HB 1491 is just one of several big moments with connections to our history. We won our first housing justice legal cases, ensuring that even the wealthiest suburbs are allowing more types of housing. These wins came 20 years after losing a raft of similar cases, and 4 years after we were able to strengthen state law in response to those earlier losses.
In the early days of Futurewise, our founding board and staff wrote about their vision of protecting farms and ecosystems while growing along new transit lines and integrating exclusive suburbs with diverse housing types. Determination, long-term strategy, and our state’s growing housing and transportation challenges have brought us closer to that vision.
Futurewise was founded by the impressive coalition of environmental advocates, community organizers, land use attorneys, city and county planning officials, and elected leaders who conceived of, and passed, the Growth Management Act in 1990. That origin still shapes our approach today—we are our strongest when working at the intersection of dedicated grassroots advocacy and deep policy expertise.
We are also committed to working statewide. This year, we strengthened that commitment by opening new office spaces in both Spokane and Port Angeles and welcoming several new staff members. These investments deepen our connections, expand our legal and organizing capacity, and help ensure that every corner of Washington has the tools to plan for a livable future. This is especially important as the state comprehensive planning schedule moves towards Eastern Washington next year.
We have been fortunate to see tremendous policy success at the state and local level this year. Our team has increasingly tried to share lessons from our work, speaking at conferences and meeting with other state-based organizations to share learnings and cross-pollinate efforts. This is a fraught and fragile time for communities here and across the country. The cost of living is still rising. Flooding and other climate impacts are worsening. The social fabric and democratic systems that hold our communities together are fraying. But we can also see the progress and the promise of a better future. At Futurewise we’ve seen since 1990 that when dedicated people come together, we can reshape what’s possible.
Alex Brennan
Futurewise Executive Director