The car-centric design of many U.S. cities traps young people at home, preventing them from engaging in social activities and urban life.

In an opinion piece published in Congress for New Urbanism’s Public Square, high school senior Rahul Rejeev argues that “The lack of effective transit, coupled with the lack of kid-friendly destinations and the feeling of more dangerous neighborhoods, means that today’s youth find it harder than ever to go outside, meet up with friends, and form more meaningful relationships.”
The American reliance on the personal automobile particularly impacts young people, many of whom face barriers that prevent them from getting their licenses or buying cars even when they’re old enough. “Lack of mobility coupled with large distances means that kids are far from the places where they want to hang out,” isolating them from social and economic opportunities. “Public transport is the only guaranteed way for a young person to be free and enjoy mobility,” Rejeev writes.
For Rejeev, zoning reform, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and efficient public transit are not just ways to curb carbon emissions and reduce car dependency, but also significant ways to improve the lives of young people.
FULL STORY: Children, left behind by suburbia, need better community design

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

Honolulu's Iwilei Center Plans for Redevelopment Into Mixed-Use Space
Striving to expand affordable housing options for Oahu residents, Honolulu's Department of Land Management requests to redevelop the Iwilei Center into a mixed-use space.

Biketown Lives
Despite public perception of its decline, Portland’s bike share system is alive and well.

‘Stockholm Tree Pit’ Saves Dying Urban Trees
After noticing that two-thirds of its trees were dying, Stockholm developed a new planting method to protect trees surrounded by concrete.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Edmonds
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research