Tag Archives: children’s independent mobility

The sorry state of neighbourhood design in America: a mother writes

Posted on January 22, 2013 | 39 comments

After my last blog post about German children having more everyday freedom than their English peers, Andrea – a German-born woman who now lives in the USA – got in touch to leave a comment. She had some revealing things to say about the differences between her home and adopted countries, and has agreed to let me share them more prominently. She paints a depressing picture of car-dependence and isolation: a stark comparison with her experiences in Germany. Here is her story.

Road near Bailey School, Minnesota. Woodbury, MN. Source: Strongtowns.org

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39 Comments

Posted in Mobility, Parenting, Public policy, Urbanism

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German children enjoy far more everyday freedom than their English peers

Posted on January 14, 2013 | 43 comments

New research from the Policy Studies Institute (PSI) shows that only a quarter of English primary school children are allowed to walk to school alone – yet in Germany, three quarters are. It is easy to think that the decline in children’s freedom to play out of doors and get around on their own is an inevitable side effect of modern life. That is why international comparisons are so valuable: they can show us how things might be different.

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43 Comments

Posted in Mobility, Parenting, Public policy, Urbanism

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A child is taught to ride a bike – and see how many people are helping him

Posted on October 2, 2012 | 14 comments

Here’s a video of a young boy being taught to ride a bike. (It’s in Dutch – but you really don’t need to know the language.)

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14 Comments

Posted in Learning, Mobility, Parenting, Public space, Risk

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Last child in the street?

Posted on May 10, 2012 | 17 comments

How can we build the movement to make neighbourhoods, towns and cities more child-friendly? I hereby propose that we steal a page from the playbook of Richard Louv. Continue reading →

17 Comments

Posted in Outdoor play, Urban planning, Urbanism

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Two stories about why kids are not outdoors so much these days

Posted on April 19, 2012 | 81 comments

Breugel childrens gamesI have written quite a lot about the decline in children’s freedom to play and get around out of doors. The topic is often the subject of media debate. In an effort to raise the quality of this debate, I offer two charts with contrasting explanations for this change. Continue reading →

81 Comments

Posted in Mobility, Outdoor play

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Is a taste of freedom the key to a good childhood?

Posted on January 13, 2012 | 6 comments

Yesterday’s launch of the Good Childhood report from the Children’s Society has prompted more soul-searching about childhood. Coverage has focused on the report’s finding that half a million of the country’s children aged 8 to 16 – nearly 10 per cent – had a low sense of well-being. This is indeed a troubling finding – even if some of those children will become happier over time. Yet this media focus, while understandable, misses out a far more important message: the crucial value of a taste of freedom and autonomy. Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in Mobility, Outdoor play, Public policy

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