In case you missed it: this week’s good reads about Pennsylvania’s urban issues

Here’s a list of recommended reading for your weekend:

Here’s a list of recommended reading for your weekend:

Pennsylvanians like to complain about bad roads. We talked a lot about transportation this week: 
 
First,  how bad are our roads, really?
 
And what about road safety and crowdedness?
 
Road trip! Jump into a PennDOT van to see how experts assess road quality. 
Okay, so our roads are rough. But is mass transit the solution? And if so, what makes mass transit development successful? 
 
And, via City Lab: we can learn a thing or two about traffic safety from our Swedish friends. (Traffic fatalities per 100,000 in the US: 11.6. In Sweden, it’s fewer than three.) 
 
Education was a big topic, too:
 
Last week, we talked about how one Pa. university is investing in its city. Next City takes a look at how “anchor institutions” like universities can strengthen their communities. 
 

York considers becoming one of the only school districts in the country to be privatized.
 

Beers, bars and… babies? The next generation of Philly school parents gets serious.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports state student scores declined with reduced funding. Which leads us to…
 
Money’s always a (the?) big issue:
 
Next City presents solutions to the money problems every big city has.
 
Pa. officials are amongst the highest paid in the nation (via Lancaster Online)
 
Pa. auditor general says changing fund management could help with the pension deficit problem. 
 
Millennials have to choose between affordable housing or upward mobility.
 

Philly’s manufacturing industry is growing at the fastest pace we’ve seen in 21 years. 
 
The Project for Public Spaces highlights Michigan as an example of the potential economic impact of placemaking.
 
A couple pieces about the changing face of communities:
 

A New York Times‘ slideshow peeks into a family farm and the subdivision that replaced it.  
 
Brick by Brick, a Baltimore blog, memorializes old buildings as they’re demolished. (Next City)
 
Wait, don’t go!
 
We’re looking for stories about Pennsylvania’s closed and weight-restricted bridges and how they affect peoples’ lives. Can you help?