Jillian Glover writes of her new perspective on what makes a city welcoming and safe for young families—the newest perspective, in fact. She's a new mother.
"Much has been written about how to create a family-friendly city (i.e have lots of parks,family programs, build larger condos etc.). But, I don’t yet have a kid, I have a baby whose needs are somewhat different than those of an older child. As a result, I am learning that cities aren’t as baby-friendly as they could be," writes Glover.
Glover describes her recommendations as especially pertinent following the recent U.S. Census data finding a baby boom in urban areas. "It’s time that cities paid more attention to the needs of young families," says Glover.
Among Glover's recommendations:
- Walkable Neighborhoods: "Being on maternity leave, I walk every day with my baby, either with a sling/carrier or stroller. It is often the one thing that puts him to sleep and allows me to run errands, get some fresh air and relax. Parents and babies benefit more from this type of experience than hauling all their equipment into a car and going to a big box store."
- Crosswalks: "As much as I love hurling my stroller into traffic and hoping someone stops, a safe crosswalk is preferable."
- Parks: "Every new parent and baby should be within safe walking distance to nature. My husband and I often take our baby to Trout Lake, a local park with a small lake that we can walk around."
- Family Advisory Committees: "...most cities have public committees. Vancouver has loads of them - on everything from LGBTQ issues to food policy. Yet the city does not have a family advisory committee that focuses on issues for young families."
FULL STORY: The Baby-Friendly City

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie