Michael Andersen

rss.comYIMBY Country | Podcast on RSS.comIn 2021, the nation of New Zealand announced the YIMBY rapture.In the country's five largest cities, you would be allowed to build up to eight-story buildings anywhere within a 10-minute walk of mass ...

2 June

Hey, during my sabbatical I made a podcast! It’s a one-shot miniseries about what happened after the world’s most ambitious upzoning campaign won. Here’s the trailer; episodes coming weekly all through June & July. You can subscribe on Apple/Spotify/etc. rss.com/podcasts/yim...

Michael Andersen reposted

Paul (parking reform) Barter

@paulbarter.bsky.social

15h

New Zealand's abolition of most parking mandates is under threat. In this RNZ radio segment (14:00 to 24:00), inner-city Auckland resident and @mrcagney.bsky.social transport engineer, Sam Hood, explains why the National's plan to ditch the ban on minimum carpark requirements is a terrible idea.

rnz.co.nzThe Panel with Jenni Giblin and Mike YardleyTonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Jenni Giblin and Mike Yardley. First up, is it ethical to use AI in a political attack ad? The question was raised by a Taxpayers Union h...

17h

The only Woodward I’ve read is The Brethren, about the Supreme Court. Great reporting! And hilarious that everybody was like “how’d they get all this” when the writers had scored anonymous interviews with more than half the sitting justices www.nytimes.com/2026/10/26/u...

23h

In other words: this should be a legal place to put a modern electric elevator

Stephen Jacob Smith@stephenjacobsmith.com

On Tue., Nov. 3, at 4 p.m. ET, I'm presenting my IBC proposal to a committee work group (one of many) to allow elevators to open into exits if dwelling units are also allowed to open directly into them. Essentially it would remove the "corridor penalty" for adding an elevator to a single-stair...

Michael Andersen reposted

Jeremy Beausoleil Smith

@jeremy4pdx.bsky.social

The Pacific Northwest is a magical place and we are so lucky to live here. I don’t take a single day here for granted. We have to protect the forests, waterways, plants, animals, and people we get to live alongside with everything we’ve got. (Yes I saw Wildwood last night. Yes I cried a lot)

theguardian.comTen days that could shake the world: democratic norms at stake in four pivotal electionsBrazil, Israel, Serbia and the US are holding elections within the space of 10 days. Will the authoritarian right cement its global gains, or can pro-democracy forces make a comeback?

Two bastards down

The Guardian@theguardian.com

Ten days that could shake the world: democratic norms at stake in four pivotal elections

I count 40 showings of Wildwood in Portland today and I think there were fewer than 40 seats left at all of them combined when I tried to book at noon

Michael Andersen reposted

Colette Delawalla, PhD

@cdelawalla.bsky.social

The 5-year cancer survival rate is up to 70% SIDS deaths have decreased by over 50% 89% decline in tornado deaths All thanks to federal investment in science and OUR tax dollars at work!

Michael Druker 🇨🇦@mdruker.app

Social media loves talking about how everything is getting worse. But what’s something that you’ve seen get _better_ in your lifetime?

Goth-laminated Tinder 🖤 👻 🎃 🖤

definitely more fun to be following the horserace in a country I care about but that doesn't actually affect me

Michael Andersen reposted

@nickhasthoughts.com

you’re never going to see me again

Kath Barbadoro@kathbarbadoro.bsky.social

Cool site

neil-scott.comLocal WikiWikipedia, but only for the things within a half-hour walk, pinned on a map.

Michael Andersen reposted

Adam Bonica

@adambonica.bsky.social

Once mass spam texts were made legal, younger donors vanished, leaving a grassroots fundraising machine that subsists on squeezing vulnerable seniors, some of whom give hundreds of times a day. It’s a horrific model. Consultants get generationally wealthy, and the party hollows out its future.

Jake Grumbach@jakemgrumbach.bsky.social

We found that as of right now 73% of your campaign donation goes back to the consultants and vendors (!!!), four times more than just 20 years ago. Only 13% to ads. Even I was shocked.

Michael Andersen reposted

Stephen Judkins

@stephenjudkins.bsky.social

Good, concise summary on the R290 situation. Opaque industry regulatory bodies are holding back a safe option that should let us heat and cool our homes more efficiently

therebuild.pubHank Hill Heat PumpsThe future of air conditioning is spelled 'propane.'

axios.comScoop: Senate Republicans fear Mississippi is in playPanic is spreading through the Republican Party.

If a bunch of these maverick/moderate Ds and independents were to actually win, it’d be quite an ideologically diverse caucus www.axios.com/2026/10/21/m...

Michael Andersen reposted

ToonHive

@toonhive.bsky.social

LAIKA’s ‘Wildwood’ is tracking a $15-20M domestic box office debut after a skyrocket of pre-sale tickets. This will potentially make LAIKA’s biggest opening weekend ever. (Source: @GlobalBoxOffice on X)

Michael Andersen reposted

Kori 🌹

@koriander.bsky.social

BP is a huge reason the city is where it is today. Thinking back to stories like the Broadway Bike Lane Scandal, Police Work Stoppage, and Diverter Removal Scandal. If I were an actual journalist I would apply.

BikePortland@bikeportland.org

The search begins for a BikePortland intern (and a flexible, part-time job alongside my new basketball coaching gig!). I'm stepping aside, not completely away. Read more >>> bikeportland.org/2026/10/21/b...

bikeportland.orgBikePortland's next chapterI've decided to step aside and make room for new chapters.

Michael Andersen reposted

amb

@amb.fyi

A vote for Kotek is a vote to ensure that any progressive initiative you care for, virtually anything championed by your favorite local councilors or legislators, isn’t just obliquely vetoed, obstructed or administered out of viability for the next four years.

pnwpolicyangel aka Angelita 👼@pnwpolicyangel.bsky.social

I’m very critical of Tina Kotek and people need to vote for her anyway. There’s no ranked choice in this race. The governor has the power to call in the national guard, or affect voting. That alone is too important. Christine Drazan is too dangerous. Hold your nose and do it.

Overton window go brrr

Ryan Packer@typewriteralley.bsky.social

Tonight at the Bellevue Council: a debate about whether to abolish parking mandates within a quarter-mile of bus rapid transit stops (the minimum set to be required by state law) or whether to go to a half-mile. Mayor Mo Malakoutian broke the 3-3 tie on this in the more conservative direction.

Michael Andersen reposted

Adam Serwer

@adamserwer.bsky.social

"armies don't fight for abstractions." -- The losing army

PDX metro ranks 10th nationally for 2026 apartment demand exceeding 2026 apartment supply. We still have a nice surplus of homes, but it isn't on track to last forever & once it's gone, people will start asking why we didn't start building more til it was too late via @jayparsons.bsky.social on X

2016 Portlanders, inventing a time machine to plead with 2006 Portlanders to reverse the 1981 ban of apartment buildings from most of the Inner Eastside no wait sorry, that's 2036 Portlanders inventing a time machine to make the same plea to you and me

Michael Andersen reposted

GRIDS Vancouver

@grids.reillywood.com

A quiet Tokyo (Adachi-ku) neighbourhood. You can have density with lowrises, but not with huge streets+setbacks www.flickr.com/photos/47741...

Michael Andersen reposted

Fischer 🛠️🚇

@fischer.bsky.social

Replying to @evieevolving.bsky.social

it is wild to think that just with 2020s kicker funds we could have closed the trump II budget deficits, bailed out ODOT, and filled the trimet budget and still had billions left over

Our 10yo liked Wrinkle but noped out of Wind in the Door, calling it “weird” 🎯 Stuck with Narnia through middle of Silver Chair. I think I’ll get him to try Magician’s Nephew before the movie. 👍🏻 Halfway through Two Towers with me rn & Amber Spyglass w/ Mo Tollbooth 2 years ago He has great taste

Noah Weinberger@noahweinberger2003.bsky.social

Bangers that I read as a kid that I wish people would read now: 1) CS Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia series 2) Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time series 3) Everything Tolkien ever wrote (including the Simarillion) 4) Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth 5) Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials

bloomberg.comThe AV Future Might Not Be SharedRight now, self-driving cars are used only for shared fleets of autonomous robotaxis. What happens when anyone can buy their own?

I loved Silmarillion but no way am I pushing that shit on him, let alone Horse and His Boy or Many Waters. Maybe he’ll pick them up himself but there’s a lot of great newer stuff to compete. The one I’m still hoping to sell him on while I can is Lloyd Alexander. Then I’ll declare victory. 🐖

Michael Andersen reposted

Tony Jordan

@tonyjordan.bsky.social

This is why I support fleet-operated AV services where the operator of the fleet is a licensed, regulated, and liable entity.

David Zipper@davidzipper.bsky.social

Reasons why personally-owned AVs would cause VMT to spike: 🔹 People will direct their cars to do stuff w/o them in it 🔹 Longer/congested drives will be less of a pain 🔹 Owners won't have to worry about expensive/difficult parking; just direct the car to wait elsewhere (or circle) More in story ⤵️

Michael Andersen reposted

Nick (derogatory) ✨

@slothropsmap.bsky.social

Please. Mr Farto is my father. Call me Bum.

oregonlive.comOpinion: Growing pension burden on Portland property tax bills shows need for leaders to step inThe city’s system for paying pension benefits for police and fire employees hired prior to 2007 is not only antiquated, but it will cost Portland residents billions more in property taxes than a moder...

Looking like a sharp left turn in Vancouver BC Green mayoral candidate beating the center-right incumbent and the “old left” COPE party getting as many as 4 council seats alongside 3 Greens & one incumbent from the left-yimby urbanists of OneCity nimby TEAM party shut out again still counting

Jens von Bergmann@jensvb.bsky.social

73/149 (and 310/488 tabulators)

Michael Andersen reposted

iain

@maccoinnich.bsky.social

Dropped my ballot off at the library

Taniel@taniel.bsky.social

*so important*: if you’re voting by mail, assume the USPS will delay because it’s its policy. You can: —put it in drop box —go to counter to watch them postmark in front of you —if you’re dropping it in a mailbox, do it VERY EARLY.

Michael Andersen reposted

kmachiz.bsky.social

@kmachiz.bsky.social

New property tax bills just dropped. The perfect time to read this piece: www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2024...

Michael Andersen reposted

iain

@maccoinnich.bsky.social

Most likely, this comes into effect in Oregon in 2028. However, unless Portland changes its policy and allows single stair buildings to use the same code guide that all other multifamily buildings in the city use, the de facto ban on four story single-stair apartment buildings would remain.

Stephen Jacob Smith@stephenjacobsmith.com

The 2027 IBC has been officially published, and it allows single-stair apartment buildings up to four stories! See the new section 1006.3.3.2 codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2...

sightline.orgPrincipal Director, Program Development | Sightline InstitutePrincipal Director, Program Development

This job is sort of a big deal

Sightline Institute@sightline.org

Sightline runs housing, democracy, and climate programs. What would you add? We’re hiring a new role to build our next research program (and then the next). - Scout, launch, and hand off new programs - $166-185k, plus 10% retirement - Remote anywhere in Cascadia

Excited about this panel about buildability at the Housing Land Advocates conference. Featuring @maccoinnich.bsky.social, who notes his firm “used to design a lot of office buildings back when people built office buildings”

Iain jumps in: "the 26-foot-wide road width is something that comes in on every single multifamily project I ever work with" he always gets a standard exception (an interior roof ladder). But Portland Fire has said they will not grant it to this building type.

Context: Last year, Pew looked at 617,000 occupant-years of data in NYC and found that single-stair buildings there are exactly as safe as other buildings www.pew.org/en/research-...

Shane Boland of Owen Gabbert LLC summarizes why Portland hasn't permitted any 4-story single-stair buildings despite them being theoretically legalized last October. www.portland.gov/ppd/commerci...

The main "poison pill," he says, was a fire department condition that these buildings be illegal on narrow streets. He maps the zones where these would be legal & feasible and the handful of streets wide enough. Very little overlap!

Heather McGinn-Giron talks about "Little Sister," an architectural concept from her firm (Studio Even Odd) for an accessory commercial unit ("the cheapest first storefront a business owner can get, outside a food cart") that could be squeezed into the same 5200sqft parcel as a few homes.

"I'm kind of obsessed at this point," she says of ACUs aka "pocket commercial" uses. "I drive around looking for them right now. I've seen coffee houses, furniture restoration, acupuncturists....It helped families pay their mortgages and gave new immigrants a place to start."

In a different, skinnier building: elevators were too small to fit a stretcher, so illegal under buliding code. And there was only one stairwell; the legacy fire escape would no longer qualify as an egress.

Those issues plus the cost of seismic retrofit meant that the conversion would have cost the same to build per square foot as a brand new building in the same place. It was equally feasible, which is to say not at all.