Aggravated 15 Year Olds as a Measure of Place

Is there nowhere in your town to teach a kid to drive? Congratulations. You may be on to something.

1 minute read

May 21, 2014, 7:00 AM PDT

By Hazel Borys


Scott Doyon has talked extensively in the past about the popsicle test as a measure of great places: the ability of an 8 year old to safely get somewhere to buy a popsicle, then make it home before it melts. Is the inability of finding a place where to teach your teenager how to drive a similar measure?

"One measure of a good place is the absence of infrastructure suitable to new driver education. Or, perhaps, an inverse relationship. As suitable locations go down, value (by multiple measures) goes up."

"No good spots might be an indicator that your town has reasonable parking requirements. Or, it might demonstrate that the parking you do have is shared in ways that keep it near full at all times. Or, it could show that your town prioritizes human habitat over just the raw mechanics of car storage."

"It could even be all of these things. But the one thing it’s not is an indicator of productive land wasted. And that’s a good start towards making a place worth inhabiting."

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 in PlaceShakers

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

1 hour ago - UNM News

Bird's eye view of half-circle suburban street with large homes.

In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City

If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.

3 hours ago - Investopedia

Color-coded map of labor & delivery departments and losses in United States.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace

In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.

June 15 - Maine Morning Star