City Life

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All topics urbanism and city related, from urban planning to public transit to municipal interest stuff. Both automobile and FuckCars inclusive.

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Children, left behind by suburbia, need better community design (www.cnu.org)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I grew up in many very non-walkable neighborhoods, and it's important not to conflate "no businesses within walking distance" to "nothing to do". My brother and I (and later myself alone) always found tons of things to do. Don't use the presence of cars or the lack of businesses as an excuse for helicopter parenting or keeping your kids indoors.

Let's not ingrain Capital-generating activities (go to movie, go shopping, go to bookstore, go to sports game, go to cafe, etc) as "what kids should be out doing".

Play in an old quarry. Play in the dirt. Play street hockey. Play card games on the sidewalk. Play airsoft. Play whatever.

Parents are sometimes scared to let their kids go out in non-walkable environments, especially in America.

THIS is the real problem.

Don't create a mini surveillance state ("where are you going", "when will you be back", "head straight to x, and straight home"...) for your kids.