Children
The Unspoken Link Between Transit and Child Care
Already a challenge for many American parents, finding child care within reach of transit can be nearly impossible.
Improving Communities Through Soccer
LEGO has partnered with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to create a new safe place for kids to play soccer and gain life skills in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
How Urban Design Fails Families
For parents of small children, amenities like public restrooms or shady parks can vastly improve—or deteriorate—the experience of navigating cities.
‘Kidical Mass:’ The Bike Bus Movement Comes to America
Parents and students around the country are organizing into ‘bike buses’ to keep children safe while biking to and from school.
New York Cuts Almost 500 Open School Crossing Guard Jobs
The vacant positions were cut as part of an effort to trim the NYPD’s budget, but intersections near schools are already some of the city’s most dangerous for pedestrians.
A Child’s Eye View of the City
A new VR tool invites urban planners to viscerally understand how a small child experiences the urban realm—with less-than-ideal results.
Making Transit More Family-Friendly
Public transit can often be inconvenient or unsafe for people with children in strollers and riders traveling for purposes other than commuting. Agencies are working on ways to fix that.
Study: Extracurricular Activities Benefit Children’s Mental Health
A new study indicates that improving access to extracurricular activities (EA) may help address the growing mental health needs of children and caregivers.
Playgrounds as an Essential Amenity
A London organization is working to bring ‘adventure playgrounds’ to park-poor neighborhoods, arguing that outdoor play is a key factor in child development.
How Japanese Cities Enable Toddlers To Roam Independently
A TV show featuring young Japanese children going on errands on their own highlights the differences between Japanese and American urban design that enable even toddlers to safely navigate big cities.
New York City Mayor Goes Out With a (Covid Policy) Splash
Mayor Bill de Blasio's second term ends on New Year's Eve. On Dec. 6, he announced the nation's strictest COVID mandate: All workers in New York City must be at least partially vaccinated by Dec. 27. Did he consult with his successor, Eric Adams?
How Urban Design Affects Children's Cognitive Development
A European study suggests that good urban design can affect cognitive and motor function development in young children.
The Major Shortcoming in Biden's COVID Action Plan
Dr. Leana S. Wen, an emergency physician and public health expert, writes that Covid will become a 'manageable problem' with three key actions, only one of which hasn't received the attention it deserves in the Biden administration's action plan.
Opinion: Car-Centric Cities Hurt Kids
Designing neighborhoods with children in mind could reduce traffic fatalities and improve the health and well-being of kids.
Pandemic Debate: Civil Liberties vs. Individual Liberties
The American Civil Liberties Union stepped into the nation's masking debate in K-12 schools on the side of parents of students with disabilities. They won the first round in the U.S. Southern District Court of Iowa. Mask mandates are permitted again.
Biden Administration Targets Five States that Ban School Mask Mandates
President Biden asked his education secretary to see what could be done about states that prohibit school districts from enacting CDC public health recommendations. Miguel Cardona responded by empowering his Office of Civil Rights to investigate.
Reopening Schools: CDC Reduces Social Distancing Requirement
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now supports three-foot distancing in elementary school classrooms provided there is universal masking. For middle and high schools, it depends on the level of coronavirus transmission in the community.
Planning Communities for Children and Families
Child in the City asks “If you could see the city from an elevation of 95 cm, what would you do differently?” It provides a toolbox of specific policies and planning practices for creating more child-friendly communities.
Study Reveals the Insights of Children in the Planning Process
A recent study of preschoolers shows that small children are intuitive urban planners—if anyone ever listens.
No Place to Play During the Pandemic
Youth sports in America have been devastated by the coronavirus which prompted the shutdown of programs and facilities for play and practice.
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.
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
