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.
"A city that's a good place to raise children is generally just a good place, period," says Funkhouser. "Parents want to raise their children in places that are safe, clean and attractive, that enjoy a sense of charm and place, and that have lots of fun and interesting stuff going on. Who doesn't want that? It sounds like the very definition of livability."
He discusses the 'stroller index', a phrase coined by Governing colleague David Kidd that captures the idea that the health of a city is measured in the number of strollers on its streets.
"AARP has a list of principles for creating "age-friendly" communities. My guess is that cities that set out to accommodate the Baby Boomers by being age-friendly are going to do very well on the stroller index as well. When more people rate a city as a good place to raise children, that means a strengthening tax base and a better environment for everyone. Just don't trip as you step around the strollers to get into that cute little coffee shop."
FULL STORY: A Powerful Measure of Urban Health: the Stroller Index
The U.S. Cities With the Most Children
Governing magazine digs into the data about which cities American families are more likely to call home.
Will Young Families Stay in Cities?
With their reputation for decent schools, lower crime, and affordable housing, suburbs can be an attractive prospect for young families. Can cities retain that demographic? Should they?
Family-Friendly Downtown Living
What helps make a downtown family friendly? Safe places to play, safe streets, good schools and attainable housing, writes Jennifer Hill.
How the Trump Presidency Could Impact Urban Planning
An analysis of potential changes in federal housing, transportation, and climate policies.
Research Affirms Safety of ‘Idaho Stop’
Allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs does not negatively impact safety and can help people on bikes more effectively navigate roadways.
Midburbs: A New Definition of Suburbs
When the name “suburb” just doesn't quite fit.
The Urban Heat Divide: Addressing LA’s Thermal Inequities
LA's thermal inequities leave low-income, minority neighborhoods disproportionately hotter and more vulnerable, prompting advocacy and policy efforts to address these disparities through green infrastructure and equitable climate investments.
Healing the Land: Collaborative Effort to Reclaim Orphan Well Sites
The Well Done Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are partnering to plug over 110 orphan wells across four National Wildlife Refuges, restoring habitats, protecting ecosystems, and reducing methane emissions.
The Apartment Through History
The humble apartment, as a typology, has been with us for millennia.
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.
Placer County
Skagit Transit
Berkeley County
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service