With the next four years of unrest in the U.S. and political changes likely coming to Canada, the idea of Cascadia is more relevant than ever.
I started this site 18 years ago with the aim of highlighting growing business and political ties across the Pacific Northwest. During that time the region has shared a lot, from the Olympics, to cross-border tech, to the effects of the 2021 heat dome. Drawing closer seems inevitable.
We’re culturally and politically closer than ever. Democrats control Washington and Oregon, states that will act increasingly independent during the coming Trump years. In B.C. the NDP barely holds a minority government – with almost no representation outside Vancouver and Victoria – but the center left could gain traction in opposition as the Canadian national pendulum swings conservative.
As a region, here are a few areas where we should focus:
Climate and development
- Most of our contribution to the climate problem comes from vehicles, so the best solution is to build intercity transportation that replaces driving and curbs sprawl. Stop new freeways, and limit future highway growth to narrow safety and maintenance projects. Transit should get a far bigger share of spending and roads should be held to ROI expectations.
- Create dense and walkable development to provide more housing supply and healthier less car-dependent lifestyles. The cities of Vancouver and Victoria are way ahead of the rest of the region, but are small parts even of their metros. The region already needs millions more housing units. We’re going to be inundated with climate refugees, so we should build cities for people who are coming.
- No more megaprojects. There’s no reason to destroy farmland to build new cities from scratch when places from the metros to Chehalis to Burlington can accommodate far more people. There’s no need for a new airport anywhere since forecast demand is based on speculative projections assuming cheap fuel. Trains should connect YVR, SEA, and PDX and replace much of the demand. No more Seattle tunnels or Columbia River Crossings.
- More renewable energy development, including aggressive siting of wind and solar.
Economic opportunity
- Encourage new and unique business. Even in the land of Amazon, we should promote small business with our tax and health infrastructure.
- Treat willing business as partners. Boeing blackmailed Washington taxpayers out of billions of dollars, even as management steered the company off a cliff. Never again. Instead, government should offer educated workforces and great locations.
- Reform forestry. Washington and Oregon have transformed their economies, and it’s time for B.C. to evolve from unsustainable resource extraction. This won’t be easy, and will take leadership that we haven't yet seen.
- Support local journalism. There’s a link between vibrant local media and less-corrupt and economically vibrant places. We need to support professional journalism that holds the powerful to account and reports new ideas.
Social health
- Shelter the homeless, both by providing more housing and services. Obviously this is a broad topic with interconnecting issues. Services and emergency solutions need to be regional.
- Provide more access to doctors in B.C. About 700,000 lack access to a family doctor and 40% of current practicioners plan to retire or scale back.
- Provide long-term care in Washington and Oregon. The failure of an initiative to repeal current funding in Washington means no back-sliding, at least.
What else should be on the list? Let me know in the comment. Meanwhile, get your Doug Fir paraphernalia and support Cascadia. It’s happening.