Certainly, says Brent Toderian. And with children "the indicator species of a great neighbourhood," he argues that cities should be designed with families in mind.
Toderian considers recent news items and comments by colleagues questioning the suitability of downtowns as places for families, and says the reason such beliefs persist is that cities aren't designed with families in mind. "A city and building industry gives up on kids downtown, so no one
designs and plans for them. No schools. Little daycare. No playgrounds,
facilities or basic public environment to make downtown kid or
teenager-friendly. Most importantly, no homes built to actually fit a
family...This perpetuates the myth that families would never want to
live downtown."
Toderian, former Chief Planner for Vancouver, argues that families are essential to cities as "a big part of complete, mixed, vibrant and lively downtown
neighbourhood. Singles, couples and seniors downtown are great, but kids
and baby-strollers make communities more real, more human. They also
support a broader local economy, and make the community safer."
He goes on to describe the essential elements, including childcare, schools, and family-friendly housing, that are necessary for building downtowns for families. After all, says Toderian, "a neighbourhood that's designed to work for kids, works for everyone."
FULL STORY: Want Families Downtown? Design for Them!
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Millennials are loving their center cities these days, with their lofts and bars and yoga studios. But what happens when Millennials start to have families and don't quite fit, physically or culturally, into city life anymore?
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The Natalist Case For Sprawl (And Why It Fails)
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Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
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Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
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Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
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LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions