Welcome back to TheCityFix Picks, our series highlighting the newsy and noteworthy of the past week. Each Friday, we’ll run down the headlines falling under TheCityFix’s five themes: mobility, quality of life, environment, public space, and technology and innovation.

Mobility

It’s National Bike to Work Day in the United States! Check out events in cities like Washington, D.C. And listen to this NPR interview about how cyclists and drivers can learn to share the road.

“Scraper bikes” are changing life for kids in Oakland, Calif., as shown in this video report.

Quality of Life

A new report from the American Public Health Association shows the “Hidden Health Costs of Transportation.” The verdict? “Costs associated with loss of work days and wages, pain and suffering, and premature death, may be as high as several hundred billion dollars.”

New York Health Commissioner Thomas Farley isn’t afraid of biking on city streets anymore – he’s now cycling to work and encouraging others to do the same. “Most people don’t have time to exercise. But people have to get around and biking is an ideal form of transportation,” he said.

Environment

High particulate air pollution in urban areas may contribute to higher blood pressure levels observed among city residents with high exposure compared with people living in less polluted areas of the city, according to researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

Public Space

The Ford Foundation announced a five-year, $200 million effort to help transform cities through integrated housing, transportation and land-use policy to foster greater economic growth.

Technology and Innovation

From OnEarth magazine: More cyclists are taking to city streets. “Ride the City” iPhone app helps them find the way.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) completed the first-ever count of all the publicly available parking spaces in San Francisco, and now developers have created a new app through the SFPark pilot project to make it easier to find a place to park.