The best city stories from around the web this week find cyclists in Toronto shaming cars parked in bike lanes, meet the children enjoying Jordan’s first skate park in Amman, ask whether brewing beer can help the environment and celebrate going car-free in Bogotá.

We’d love to hear your responses to these stories and any others you’ve read recently, both at Guardian Cities and elsewhere: share your thoughts in the comments below.

Sticking up for cyclists

A couple of cycists in Toronto have started attacking cars that park in bike lanes – with stickers. The bright green badges of disapproval simply say ‘I parked in a bike lane’ as a way to publicly shame the vehicles for disregarding the needs of those on two wheels.

“A lot of people depend on cycling to get around and function in a big city,” explains one of the project creators on Fast Co Exist. “It’s an integral part of my daily life. It’s incredibly frustrating to see drivers mindlessly and selfishly putting others in danger.”

Melbourne’s growing up

Hong Kong is known as one of the densest cities in the world – but could Melbourne be following in its footsteps? The Urban Developer reports that living spaces in the Australian city are shrinking. Critics say that hyper-dense skyscrapers are being built in the centre of Melbourne with little regard to residents and argue for “density bonuses” to be introduced that ensure “hyper-dense” apartment tower blocks are offset with new open space.

Jordan’s first skate park

In Jordan’s capital, the country’s first skate park has opened, proving a real hit with local children. “In Syria, I couldn’t go out and play because of the war,” nine-year-old refugee Ahmed Rayen tells Al Jazeera; “but in Amman I can enjoy my time, stay out late and make new friends at the skate park.” Financed entirely through crowdfunding, the park is also decorated with work by local graffiti artists. Check out this great gallery of images of the project.

Saving the environment ... with beer

Didn’t know that beer can actually help clean wastewater? Neither did we. Apparently, Next City tells us, a sugary water byproduct of the brewing process is perfect for lowering the nitrogen levels of wastewater. A local brewer in Boulder, Colorado, is planning to team up with the city and use their beer-making byproduct to improve the cleaning of wastewater. Drink up.

Car-free in Bogotá

Last week, Bogotá celebrated its fifteenth annual car-free day, as cyclists and pedestrians enjoyed safer streets and cleaner air. “In a city of over 7 million people, the absence of 600,000 private vehicles from the streets made a visible difference,” Embarq reports. Well known for its successful bus rapid transit (BRT) system implemented by former mayor Enrique Peñalosa, the city is hoping to be a model of sustainable urban mobility. It may still have a way to go, but all good things start with one step – into a car-free road, ideally.

Are you annoyed by vehicles in bike lanes? Should Melbourne implement “density bonuses”? Share your thoughts in the comments below