Parents don’t want to drive kids everywhere, and cities have become more and more horrible for anyone outside of a car to travel around in.
That’s by design, by making it impossible/dangerous to be outside of a car, you make it so people are forced to own a car to leave their house. Walkable streets and public transport aren’t just a “children” issue, it’s an economic issue against a world that wants to force you to give massive corporations money.
All true. I just personally try to bring up walkability/good urban design whenever I see the opportunity (which is super often, because as you imply, it’s an extremely wide-ranging issue touching most facets of our lives), and I tend to limit my comments (at least at first…I’ll into further depth, like you did, if someone else then prompts further discussion of the subject) to specifically the matter at hand. In this case, that was children’s independence.
Which ironically then leads into the children’s safety issue that @psivchaz@reddthat.com mentioned, because of how a lack of people walking around leads to a lack of “eyes on the street”, which adds to the feeling that children alone are unsafe and targets for kidnapping or whatever.
As a parent, I’d be perfectly willing to drive my kids places. But where? Even if I took them to the mall, they’d be labeled “loiterers” and arrested, and if I drove them to the library someone would decide they’re too young to be in public alone and arrest me for neglect.
Parents don’t want to drive kids everywhere, and cities have become more and more horrible for anyone outside of a car to travel around in.
That’s by design, by making it impossible/dangerous to be outside of a car, you make it so people are forced to own a car to leave their house. Walkable streets and public transport aren’t just a “children” issue, it’s an economic issue against a world that wants to force you to give massive corporations money.
All true. I just personally try to bring up walkability/good urban design whenever I see the opportunity (which is super often, because as you imply, it’s an extremely wide-ranging issue touching most facets of our lives), and I tend to limit my comments (at least at first…I’ll into further depth, like you did, if someone else then prompts further discussion of the subject) to specifically the matter at hand. In this case, that was children’s independence.
Which ironically then leads into the children’s safety issue that @psivchaz@reddthat.com mentioned, because of how a lack of people walking around leads to a lack of “eyes on the street”, which adds to the feeling that children alone are unsafe and targets for kidnapping or whatever.
And everything costs money
A lot more than it was back then too. It’s probably not viable anymore for some people.
Support your local public library
This right here.
If shit’s expensive as adults imagine as a child.
As a parent, I’d be perfectly willing to drive my kids places. But where? Even if I took them to the mall, they’d be labeled “loiterers” and arrested, and if I drove them to the library someone would decide they’re too young to be in public alone and arrest me for neglect.