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
every english major heading to the movies tonight
a poster for wuthering heights shows a man riding a horse on a hill
Alt: a poster for wuthering heights shows a man riding a horse on a hill
media.tenor.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:24 PM
every english major heading to the movies tonight
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Cities that want to grow more sustainably can watch what’s been going on in Seattle. While other metros sprawled hard, Seattle grew upward and inward.
Seattle’s No-Cost Emissions Cut | Sightline Institute
The climate benefits of urban neighborhoods, all for the low price of letting people live where they want.
www.sightline.org
February 13, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Cities that want to grow more sustainably can watch what’s been going on in Seattle. While other metros sprawled hard, Seattle grew upward and inward.
Reposted by Serena Larkin
The Great Hall of All City Bikes
🎨Ovadia Benishu
🎨Ovadia Benishu
February 12, 2026 at 7:26 PM
The Great Hall of All City Bikes
🎨Ovadia Benishu
🎨Ovadia Benishu
Reposted by Serena Larkin
While I anxiously refresh various government websites because the EPA hasn't actually posted its formal repeal of the endangerment finding yet, here's what we know and don't know...
BREAKING:
The EPA’s endangerment finding for greenhouse gases is officially dead, yet questions still remain.
Here are @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @emilypont.bsky.social on what we know — and don’t know — about the Trump administration’s move:
heatmap.news/climate/enda...
The EPA’s endangerment finding for greenhouse gases is officially dead, yet questions still remain.
Here are @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @emilypont.bsky.social on what we know — and don’t know — about the Trump administration’s move:
heatmap.news/climate/enda...
What We Know About Trump’s Endangerment Finding Repeal
The administration has yet to publish formal documentation of its decision, leaving several big questions unanswered.
heatmap.news
February 12, 2026 at 9:06 PM
While I anxiously refresh various government websites because the EPA hasn't actually posted its formal repeal of the endangerment finding yet, here's what we know and don't know...
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Honestly, I love this.
What US state borders would look like if they were based on rivers and mountains
February 12, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Honestly, I love this.
who wants a bawdy, hilarious, spicy night out? 10/10 here, chicago:
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors — Lazy Susan Theatre Co.
Discover "Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors," a hilarious romp through Bram Stoker's classic tale.
www.lazysusantheatreco.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:18 PM
who wants a bawdy, hilarious, spicy night out? 10/10 here, chicago:
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Montana! Come see my book talk in Missoula next week! Feb 19 at Free Cycles Streetside Learning Center.
When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency | Sightline Institute
Book Talk: When Driving Is Not an Option A discussion on accessible transportation and city planning with author and advocate Anna Zivarts. Thursday, February 19th, 6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m, Missoula, MT. ...
sightline.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Montana! Come see my book talk in Missoula next week! Feb 19 at Free Cycles Streetside Learning Center.
Reposted by Serena Larkin
KUOW story includes a quote that explains why @sightline.org has been working on HB 1443 to allow mobile dwellings on house lots:
"It is absolutely by far the least expensive, the easiest, the cheapest, and the quickest form of housing possible in the United States."
www.kuow.org/stories/prop...
"It is absolutely by far the least expensive, the easiest, the cheapest, and the quickest form of housing possible in the United States."
www.kuow.org/stories/prop...
This bill could let you downsize your way to home ownership in Washington
Washington state legislators want to let people live in tiny homes and RVs in backyards and driveways year round.
If their bill passes, it could unlock the least expensive path to homeownership availa...
www.kuow.org
February 11, 2026 at 8:35 PM
KUOW story includes a quote that explains why @sightline.org has been working on HB 1443 to allow mobile dwellings on house lots:
"It is absolutely by far the least expensive, the easiest, the cheapest, and the quickest form of housing possible in the United States."
www.kuow.org/stories/prop...
"It is absolutely by far the least expensive, the easiest, the cheapest, and the quickest form of housing possible in the United States."
www.kuow.org/stories/prop...
Reposted by Serena Larkin
New report: Which booming cities are growing their existing neighborhoods—and which are just paving over farms?
@jayleetx.com found that no US metro has done a better job of adding residents to already populated neighborhoods than Seattle.
@jayleetx.com found that no US metro has done a better job of adding residents to already populated neighborhoods than Seattle.
Seattle: A Model for Low-Sprawl Urban Growth | Sightline Institute
As the housing shortage stretches into every corner of the United States, it’s clear that some cities and states have more abundant housing than others. But it’s harder to tease out which fast-growing...
www.sightline.org
February 12, 2026 at 7:51 PM
New report: Which booming cities are growing their existing neighborhoods—and which are just paving over farms?
@jayleetx.com found that no US metro has done a better job of adding residents to already populated neighborhoods than Seattle.
@jayleetx.com found that no US metro has done a better job of adding residents to already populated neighborhoods than Seattle.
Reposted by Serena Larkin
This is sickening. For comparison, this is more than the Department of Energy spent for all solar power and wind power R&D for the whole country.
ICE has now spent over half a BILLION dollars just on purchasing warehouses around the country to convert into detention camps.
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
ICE to begin detaining immigrants inside Social Circle warehouse in April
Homeland Security plans to build warehouse detention facilities in other cities being met with opposition.
www.ajc.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:04 AM
This is sickening. For comparison, this is more than the Department of Energy spent for all solar power and wind power R&D for the whole country.
"Has a partner ever built you a home in a chimney? Or regurgitated food to save you all that tiresome chewing? ... If not, perhaps it’s time to look beyond the human dating pool for your ideal bird bae."
My thoughts exactly
My thoughts exactly
at @thenarwhal.ca, after countless serious (and unserious) conversations among our team about which bird would make the best boyfriend, we have finally produced an extremely scientific quiz to find your ideal nest-mate: projects.thenarwhal.ca/lovebirds-qu...
Valentine’s Day quiz: discover your Canadian lovebird | The Narwhal
Take our Valentine’s Day quiz to find the nest-mate of your dreams — and get a card to share
projects.thenarwhal.ca
February 10, 2026 at 8:49 PM
"Has a partner ever built you a home in a chimney? Or regurgitated food to save you all that tiresome chewing? ... If not, perhaps it’s time to look beyond the human dating pool for your ideal bird bae."
My thoughts exactly
My thoughts exactly
Reposted by Serena Larkin
🚗 Parking reform is notching wins in communities of all sizes, politics, and geographies.
@sightline.org's Anna Fahey and @parkingreform.org's Daniel Herriges have researched the way effective parking reform campaigns message to win. 🏆 Hear what they learned on The Stoop — out now!
@sightline.org's Anna Fahey and @parkingreform.org's Daniel Herriges have researched the way effective parking reform campaigns message to win. 🏆 Hear what they learned on The Stoop — out now!
Let's Talk Parking Reform! | Podcast Episode on RSS.com
Anna Fahey and Daniel Herriges discuss the importance of parking reform in housing advocacy. The conversation covers a three-step messaging framework: defining the problem, illustrating solutions, and...
rss.com
February 10, 2026 at 6:13 PM
🚗 Parking reform is notching wins in communities of all sizes, politics, and geographies.
@sightline.org's Anna Fahey and @parkingreform.org's Daniel Herriges have researched the way effective parking reform campaigns message to win. 🏆 Hear what they learned on The Stoop — out now!
@sightline.org's Anna Fahey and @parkingreform.org's Daniel Herriges have researched the way effective parking reform campaigns message to win. 🏆 Hear what they learned on The Stoop — out now!
Reposted by Serena Larkin
I hope you spend some time with this story today. It's incredibly important and a small window into what's happening behind the federal government's detention center doors. www.propublica.org/article/life...
The Kids Trump Sent to ICE’s Dilley Detention Center
ProPublica went inside the immigrant detention center for families in Dilley, Texas. Children held there told us about the anguish of being ripped from their lives in the United States and the fear of...
www.propublica.org
February 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM
I hope you spend some time with this story today. It's incredibly important and a small window into what's happening behind the federal government's detention center doors. www.propublica.org/article/life...
"Ultimately, the controversy surrounding Eilish’s remark reveals less about celebrity or even property than the limits of America’s moral imagination, including at influential media outlets."
Democracy may die in darkness, but America was built in daylight, and in America, oppression and injustice don’t need shadows to thrive — they need champions. grist.org/indigenous/b...
Billie Eilish, stolen land, and the climate cost of America’s dispossession
Returning Indigenous land won't destroy civilization, it could save it.
grist.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:55 PM
"Ultimately, the controversy surrounding Eilish’s remark reveals less about celebrity or even property than the limits of America’s moral imagination, including at influential media outlets."
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Puerto Ricans have been fighting for energy democracy - the right to control their grid locally and build the clean energy future on the island - for decades. If you want to support an incredible effort, get plugged into the work led by Queremos Sol! queremossolpr.org
LO QUE TENEMOS
queremossolpr.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Puerto Ricans have been fighting for energy democracy - the right to control their grid locally and build the clean energy future on the island - for decades. If you want to support an incredible effort, get plugged into the work led by Queremos Sol! queremossolpr.org
Reposted by Serena Larkin
What over a century of ice data can tell us about the Great Lakes’ future
What over a century of ice data can tell us about the Great Lakes’ future
Using old records, scientists created a new dataset on how ice coverage has shifted since 1897. Researchers are already using it to study a declining fish species.
dlvr.it
February 9, 2026 at 4:37 PM
What over a century of ice data can tell us about the Great Lakes’ future
😍 give me a small condo in an agrihood plz! complete w induction cooktop, balcony solar, thermal energy networks underfoot, etc.
dream home UNLOCKED @grist.org
dream home UNLOCKED @grist.org
What happens when a neighborhood is built around a farm
This is what happens when communities are built around farms, gardens, and crops - not cars.
grist.org
February 6, 2026 at 5:02 PM
😍 give me a small condo in an agrihood plz! complete w induction cooktop, balcony solar, thermal energy networks underfoot, etc.
dream home UNLOCKED @grist.org
dream home UNLOCKED @grist.org
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Journalism is an essential pillar of democracy. Maybe subscribe to a local paper today.
NEWS: The cuts were so severe that at least one department head asked to leave The Post rather than be included in the planning.
Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Washington Post Begins Sweeping Layoffs
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Journalism is an essential pillar of democracy. Maybe subscribe to a local paper today.
Reposted by Serena Larkin
Below is the key point of testimony I gave today in support of SB 6026 to allow housing in commercial zones.
Anyone who develops mixed-use will tell you that typically retail leases can't cover the cost of construction.
Requiring retail space is regressive policy, because renters pay the price.
Anyone who develops mixed-use will tell you that typically retail leases can't cover the cost of construction.
Requiring retail space is regressive policy, because renters pay the price.
February 6, 2026 at 2:55 AM
Below is the key point of testimony I gave today in support of SB 6026 to allow housing in commercial zones.
Anyone who develops mixed-use will tell you that typically retail leases can't cover the cost of construction.
Requiring retail space is regressive policy, because renters pay the price.
Anyone who develops mixed-use will tell you that typically retail leases can't cover the cost of construction.
Requiring retail space is regressive policy, because renters pay the price.
Reposted by Serena Larkin
I've been wondering when the insurance industry would go after big oil...
California bill would make fossil fuel companies help pay for rising insurance costs
California bill would make fossil fuel companies help pay for rising insurance costs
A bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener would require oil and gas companies to pay for climate-related fires that cause insurance losses. It is opposed by the petroleum industry.
www.latimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:31 AM
I've been wondering when the insurance industry would go after big oil...
“Connection plays a huge role. Being supported in learning how to use transit, having someone to travel with at first, or simply knowing who to ask for help can make the difference between feeling isolated and feeling capable." –Sophia Young, in this great @nondriver.bsky.social article:
Seniors often struggle when it's time to give up the keys. But they're not alone.
Reimagining Freedom: How Older Adults Can Benefit from Connecting with Other Nondrivers — Streetsblog USA
Seniors often struggle when it's time to give up the keys. But they're not alone.
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 4:49 PM
“Connection plays a huge role. Being supported in learning how to use transit, having someone to travel with at first, or simply knowing who to ask for help can make the difference between feeling isolated and feeling capable." –Sophia Young, in this great @nondriver.bsky.social article:
“You can’t physically move. You can’t do anything.”
The failure of even some of the best-resourced cities to adequately clear snow so that disabled people with mobility devices can safely get around is both an infrastructure failure and a policy choice.
The failure of even some of the best-resourced cities to adequately clear snow so that disabled people with mobility devices can safely get around is both an infrastructure failure and a policy choice.
Snowstorms are hell for wheelchair users—but they don't have to be
"You can't physically move. You can't do anything."
www.motherjones.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:38 PM
every time i edit the @sightline.org news picks email, i note that canadian outlets publish LOTS more about car crashes, injuries, and fatalities than do US outlets. really changes the vibe
February 4, 2026 at 6:33 PM
every time i edit the @sightline.org news picks email, i note that canadian outlets publish LOTS more about car crashes, injuries, and fatalities than do US outlets. really changes the vibe
good god i couldn't love CPL more
Bad Bunny’s hottest local Super Bowl pregame is at the Chicago Public Library
The library? Yes, the library is hosting a series for Chicagoans to learn about Puerto Rican history ahead of Bad Bunny’s historical Super Bowl halftime show performance this weekend.
www.wbez.org
February 4, 2026 at 12:00 AM
good god i couldn't love CPL more
can't recommend this episode enough
Recordings I obtained of Chicagoans calling 911 to report ICE activity—including Marimar Martínez’s call after an agent shot her—are included in this week’s episode of @thisamericanlife.org
What Is Your Emergency? - This American Life
911 calls unlike any we’ve heard before, and other stories about immigration agents sweeping through America.
www.thisamericanlife.org
February 2, 2026 at 3:58 PM
can't recommend this episode enough