Children

Designing Child-Friendly Cities: More Trouble than it's Worth?

With the Millennial boom in many urban centers, many cities are looking for ways to retain young families rather than losing them to the traditional suburban exodus. One columnist dares to ask: Do cities even need kids?

August 20, 2014 - The Washington Post

Weekend Inspiration: Kids Design 'Dream Cars of the Future'

The ideas generated by a global competition that asks children to design the "dream car of the future" are incredibly aspirational in their pragmatism.

August 2, 2014 - Fast Co.Exist

Crime Watch

One Failure of Suburbia

Are suburbanites less fearful of crime than city-dwellers? Maybe not.

February 13, 2014 - Michael Lewyn

Is Washington A Childless City?

Some media commentary suggests that fast-gentrifying cities such as Washington are unable to attract families. In Washington, the reality is more complex; the city's high-income neighborhoods actually gained children over the past decade.

December 11, 2013 - Michael Lewyn

Is Biking With Your Child an Unnecessary Risk?

Tanya Snyder, Streetsblog's Capitol Hill editor and mother of 21-month-old daughter Luna, writes about a conversation she had with Dr. Phyllis Agran, consultant to American Academy of Pediatrics, about the risks she has exposed Luna to when biking.

October 17, 2013 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Cities vs Suburbs: Where do Parents Want to Raise Their Children?

Tanya Snyder wades into the ongoing discussion over whether America's urban revival can be sustained, a question that essentially hinges on whether cities are creating an attractive alternative to the suburbs for raising children.

August 14, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Play Dismay: Traffic and the Epidemic of Cloistered Children

Sarah Goodyear examines the connection between the way we design our streets and the reluctance of parents to let their children play outdoors.

August 9, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Friday Funny: 15 Mid-Century Modern Death Traps

With their flexible open spaces, right angles, and expanses of glass, mid-century modern houses are coveted by those homeowners with a keen design sense. And, as Projectophile illustrates, it's best if those homeowners don't have children.

April 26, 2013 - Projectophile

'Stroller Index': A Thermometer for Measuring the Health of Your Neighborhood

According to Mark Funkhouser, former mayor of Kansas City, there may be no better measure of a city's livability than whether parents want to raise children there. He explains why everyone benefits when sidewalks are filled with baby strollers.

April 26, 2013 - Governing

What It's Like to be a Child in China's Polluted Cities

Chronic coughs, stuffy noses, and face masks whenever you venture outside. Edward Wong looks at the "hell" that is childhood in China's polluted cities, which is forcing some affluent families to leave, and giving foreigners pause before entering.

April 23, 2013 - The New York Times

Schools: Planning's Enduring Blindspot

Schools are a prime driver of housing choices and transportation behavior. So why are schools and children often missing from the planning process? Ruth Miller diagnoses the problem and looks at how we can change it.

February 22, 2013 - Colab Radio

Two Brothers Walk to School

5 Good Reasons Why Children Should Walk To School

Susan Elkin points to alarmingly low statistics on the number of children who walk to school, especially when compared with historic rates. She lays out some “blindingly obvious” and “child-centered” reasons why this trend needs to be reversed.

January 19, 2013 - The Independent

Colorful children's playground equipment

Is a Little Danger Good for Playgrounds?

New research in child development is giving rise to playgrounds designed to build children's confidence in facing challenges and evaluating risk, Sumathi Reddy reports.

November 24, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Turning Kids Into Planners

An experiment in Germany engages kids to build micro-cities as playgrounds. The idea is coming to downtown Philadelphia.

October 6, 2012 - Next American City

How Cars Harm the Relationship Between Kids and Their Neighborhoods

Sarah Goodyear reports on a new study that illustrates the disastrous effect that commuting by car has on children's connection to their neighborhoods.

May 7, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Roads Kill Kids

A new report by Kevin Watkins tries to make visible the horrifying threat to children's health that road traffic presents. It is the leading cause of death globally for young people between the ages of 10 and 24, reports Sarah Goodyear.

May 6, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Communities Increase Pay For Play

Matt Bevilacqua looks at the ways in which communities across America are attempting to shrink the "play deficit" afflicting the country's children.

May 4, 2012 - Next American City

The "Growing Divide" Between Cities With Kids and Cities Without Them

William Frey with the Brookings Institution explains that 1/3rd of the largest cities in the U.S. have seen significant losses of kids under 15, while babies are booming in the Southwest, Utah and Idaho.

September 14, 2011 - Urban Land

Playgrounds Pop Up in New York

Neighborhoods in New York City have built temporary "pop-up" playgrounds in an effort to encourage more physical activity among children.

August 16, 2011 - The New York Times

Germany Has Fewer Children, More in Poverty

The population of children in Germany continues to fall, and those that exist are increasingly in poverty.

August 4, 2011 - Der Spiegel

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.