Alissa Walker in Curbed — Our streets are killing us

In 2015, a staggering 35,092 people were killed on U.S. streets—a 7.2% increase from 2014. According to a report out this week, this year is on track to be even deadlier: Based on preliminary data, the National Safety Council predicts the number of traffic deaths has already increased an additional 9% percent in the first six months of 2016. Sadly, cities are seeing evidence of this trend first-hand on their sidewalks and crosswalks. In New York City, 16 cyclists have already been killed this year, more than the number of cyclists killed in all of 2015. Read more: Our streets are killing us - Curbed

From Congress for the New Urbanism — The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl

A federal report revealed that US traffic deaths have risen 9 percent over the last year and have totaled 19,100 in the first six months of 2016. More than 2.2 million people have been seriously injured in that time. The economic cost is estimated annually at $410 billion, or 2.3 percent of gross domestic product. The human cost is harder to calculate. They are the most frequent reason for fatality of children 5 and up and young adults. Much of the blame has been placed, predictably, on distracted and drunk driving and rising vehicle miles traveled. The “elephant in the living room,” the factor that nobody wants to talk about, is sprawl and the infrastructure of sprawl. The roads built to support sprawl, designed to modern safety standards, are contributors to the majority of US traffic deaths and injuries. Read more: The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl | CNU

From @NewUrbanism — Roads built to support sprawl designed to modern standards are contributors to the majority... https://t.co/u9f9M0QWTc

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) August 29, 2016

From City Builder Book Club — Webinar: Urban Acupuncture- Celebrating the Work and Vision of Jaime Lerner

In this webinar, panelists Stephen Goldsmith (Center for the Living City), Mike Lydon (Street Plans Collaborative), and Erin Barnes (ioby) discuss Jaime Lerner’s influence on community-based urban interventions. Moderated by The Overhead Wire’s Jeff Wood. Read more: Webinar: Urban Acupuncture- Celebrating the Work and Vision of Jaime Lerner

Free webinar about Urban Acupuncture & strong communities with @MikeLydon @theoverheadwire @ioby @ctr4livingcity

https://t.co/Nh4POQEH0g

— Island Press (@IslandPress) June 24, 2016

---

From Strong Towns — Historic buildings get newer, greener lease on life

The story of Peggy and Tom Brennan who recently renovated and opened two unique buildings in downtown Detroit: the Green Garage, a business incubator and coworking space, andEl Moore, a residential apartment building and urban lodge. Find out how these businesses got started and where they're headed now. Read more: Historic Buildings Get Newer, Greener Lease on Life — Strong Towns

Historic Buildings get Newer, Greener Lease on Life #Detroit #CNU24 https://t.co/pxufZeJCgf pic.twitter.com/dazKN0J2D9

— Strong Towns (@StrongTowns) June 8, 2016

---

City streets are designed with no margin for human error. The technical term for this in other disciplines is really bad design.

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) July 16, 2016

From The Nature of Cities — Common threads: connections among the ideas of Jane Jacobs and Elinor Ostrom

Jane Jacobs and Elinor Ostrom were both giants in their impact on how we think about communities, cities, and common resources such as space and nature. But we don’t often put them together to recognize the common threads in their ideas.

Jacobs is rightly famous for her books, including The Death and Life of Great American Cities, and for her belief that people, vibrant spaces and small-scale interactions make great cities—that cities are “living beings” and function like ecosystems. Ostrom won a Nobel Prize for her work in economic governance, especially as it relates to the Commons. She was an early developer of a social-ecological framework for the governance of natural resources and ecosystems. Read more: Common threads: connections among the ideas of Jane Jacobs and Elinor Ostrom, and their relevance to urban socio-ecology | The Nature of Cities

---

From PBS NewsHour — Traffic deaths surged in 2015

Fatalities rose 7.7 percent to 35,200 in 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. That overall rate was significantly outpaced by non-motorist traffic deaths: Bicycle fatalities were up 13 percent; pedestrian deaths rose 10 percent, and motorcyclist deaths rose by 9 percent. Last year was the deadliest driving year since 2008, when 37,423 people were killed. It was also the year in which American drove 3.1 trillion miles, more than ever before. The fatality rate for 2015 increased to 1.12 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), up from 1.08 deaths in 2014. Read more: PBS NewsHour on Twitter: "Traffic deaths surged in 2015, federal data shows https://t.co/Z458qPQ9by"

---