Children

Downtown Minneapolis Unprepared for Influx of Children

The amount of children under five has jumped in downtown Minneapolis, which is posing problems for the city and its school system.

July 20, 2011 - Minneapolis-St.Paul Star Tribune

The New Way to Play

New playground designs are shaking up public parks around the world. So long, slides, hello interpretive playscapes.

July 12, 2011 - Dwell

Where Have All The Children Gone?

Decreasing fertility rates of non-Hispanic whites and black women, plus the tendency of families with children to cluster, have caused declines in the '18 and under' population share in 95% of U.S. counties.

June 5, 2011 - USA Today - Census

Planning for Kids Makes Cities Better for All

While some cities have focused planning efforts on making their public spaces more accessible for the elderly, some argue that the age group they should be focusing on is kids.

February 2, 2011 - Good

The Kids Are All Blight

The cities that often top the "most livable" lists like San Francisco, Portland, Boston and D.C. also happen to have the lowest percentage of households with children. Does that mean that kids make places un-livable?

January 7, 2011 - Conservative Planner Blog

Cities Too Dangerous for Kids? Maybe Not

Cities are commonly thought of as dangerous places for kids to grow up. But a new study challenges that perception.

December 28, 2010 - Grist

Urban Planning Gift Ideas For Children (Your Budding Planner)

I've gathered some of the best here, properly field tested by my boys, to help you with your holiday shopping list.

November 12, 2010 - Chris Steins

Won't Somebody Think of the Children?

Kids make up a big part of city populations. But often the built environment doesn't reflect a world planned with children in mind. This post from Polis looks at an effort to put children's needs back in the minds of planners.

April 29, 2010 - POLIS

Corner Stores and Fat Kids

Urban convenience stores are being further linked to childhood obesity after the release of a new study from Temple University.

January 21, 2010 - Miller-McCune

Pearl District Revitalization Now Includes Kids

A new affordable housing development going up in Portland's dense Pearl District will include a public school on the ground floor.

December 3, 2009 - Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon

Ban on Biking and Walking to School May Be Lifted

A 15-year-old ban on biking and walking to school in Saratoga Springs, New York may be lifted, after one bike-friendly parent challenged the policy.

October 4, 2009 - Governing

Le Corbusier for Kids

A new picture book introduces the architecture and urban ideas of Le Corbusier to children.

September 16, 2009 - Arcspace

The Importance of the Informal Playground

Unstructured play is a mainstay of childhood. But dense urban areas offer fewer opportunities for free-form playtime, writes Alex Marshall. Kids have to take what they can get, and often it's not much more than an empty parking lot.

August 27, 2009 - Regional Plan Association

Students Give Up Wheels for Their Own Two Feet

This piece from the New York Times looks at a program in Italy the encourages children to walk to school.

March 27, 2009 - The New York Times

The joys of medium density

It is a chestnut of urban planning that a neighborhood must have a certain number of dwelling units per acre (usually around 8 or 10) in order to have adequate bus service. But the quarter-acre lot seems to get no respect: too dense for estate-home luxury, not dense enough to constitute "smart growth". But a 9 year-old girl recently taught me that, at least for children of a certain age, these medium-density neighborhoods have their advantages.

January 22, 2009 - Michael Lewyn

Cars, Kids, and a Safer Environment Through Planning

Urban areas are filled with cars, and this creates an unsafe environment for children. This commentary argues that officials need to regain their faith in the power of planning to address the issue.

September 25, 2008 - Guardian

Where Do Child Care Centers Belong?

A Houston bedroom community decides against allowing childcare centers to mix with other businesses in strip centers.

July 11, 2008 - The Houston Chronicle

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.

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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.