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August 7 - PlaceShakers

After 12 years of dramatic development, falling crime, and improved amenities for many New Yorkers, can a Mayoral candidate win by focusing on the city's failings - namely its growing inequality - and promising 'a major reset'.

August 7 - The New York Times

At the same time that vehicular fatalities have ridden a decade-long decline in the U.S., a troubling trend has seen pedestrian fatalities increase. A $2 million U.S. DOT grant program will target 22 cities with acute pedestrian safety problems.

August 7 - The Atlantic Cities

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a 'broad decline' in childhood obesity rates among poor children in the United States. Could the country be turning a corner in its battle against childhood obesity?

August 6 - The New York Times

The removal of a parklet that had been criticized as 'a haven for homelessness and illegal activity' reflects some of the growing pains experienced by San Francisco as it's sought to encourage the conversion of on-street parking into public spaces.

August 6 - San Francisco Examiner

With its elegant skyline, walkable streets and stunning parks, Vancouver exemplifies great city-making. Add to the list of achievements the city's ability to reduce traffic by 20 to 30 percent since 2006 while growing its population by 4.5 percent.

August 6 - DC.Streetsblog

The Washington Post speaks with Leigh Gallagher, author the new book “The End of the Suburbs”, about the decline of America's suburbs, models for suburban reinvention, and the correlation between neighborhood form and health and happiness.

August 6 - The Washington Post

What if most cars were electrics, most electricity was generated locally, and new development was required to have solar? Would this paradigm make sprawl more energy sustainable than compact growth? A new paper argues yes.

August 6 - Science Daily

You think your daily commute is bad? In one of the world's largest cities, a lack of citywide rapid transit means daily commutes of four hours for many Jakarta residents. Help is on the way, but conditions may get worse before they get better.

August 6 - The New York Times

If the hiring of the city's first Chief Sustainability Officer is any guide, the Garcetti administration intends to make sustainability a priority for Los Angeles.

August 6 - KPCC

The temporary projects that enliven Britain's derelict and overlooked urban spaces offer a taste of the power of transformative placemaking. But they come hand in hand with increasing consolidation and homogenization in the architecture field.

August 6 - The Guardian

Flush with revenue from higher gas taxes, Maryland is moving ahead with plans for a 16-mile light rail line connecting the state's dense D.C. suburbs. It's seeking a private partner to help it construct and operate the planned Purple Line.

August 6 - The Washington Post

Mayor Ignazio Marino of Rome has banned private vehicles from Via dei Fori Imperiali, built by Benito Mussolini to link his palace in Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum. Initially open to buses and taxis, it will eventually be completely pedestrianized.

August 6 - The New York Times - Europe

Two decades of phenomenal growth have transformed Nashville into 'one of America’s hottest success stories.' In an op-ed for The Tennessean, Bill Freeman argues that for the area to continue to grow wisely it will need to embrace regional planning.

August 5 - The Tennessean

A new exhibition of the bold designs that were never executed in Los Angeles provides lessons for today's leaders and planners. By imagining a more public-minded path for Los Angeles, it provides the impetus for creating such a future.

August 5 - Los Angeles Times

Mexico City, Melbourne, and Vancouver are just some of the cities that have struggled to get citywide bike-sharing systems off the ground due to local laws mandating the use of bike helmets. A new helmet vending machine could help break the impasse.

August 5 - PSFK

BART commuters were undoubtedly delighted to board trains on Monday morning thanks to Gov. Jerry Brown's last minute action to return BART employees to work for one week while a panel investigates why negotiations have stalled.

August 5 - San Francisco Chronicle

Everybody's a progressive in Berkeley, right? As recent struggles over land use make clear, it depends on what you mean by "progressive."

August 5 - Dissent

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, emergency manager Kevyn Orr explains how his own experiences living in once-derelict, now-thriving cities leave him optimistic about Detroit's revival.

August 5 - The Wall Street Journal

Blogger Andrew Lynch’s collection of unrealized city plans is a catalog of could-have-beens.

August 5 - Wired Blogs