With the Millennial boom in many urban centers, many cities are looking for ways to retain young families rather than losing them to the traditional suburban exodus. One columnist dares to ask: Do cities even need kids?
If you've ever wanted to read sentences like "Children: Are they necessary?" in a non-Onion, national media platform, now's your chance. A new article, written by Lydia DePillis for The Washington Post, asks if designing and building child-friendly cities is more trouble than it's worth.
DePillis cites a 2001 study that quantified the burden of children compared to benefit of the singles: "Back in 2001, two scholars at the Brookings Institution put a price tag on that dichotomy. A two-parent family with two kids costs $6,200 annually, and a childless couple generates a net gain for the city of $13,000."
Then there are the negative consequences on inequality once wealthy families decide to stay in the city: "Professional families will only move to a neighborhood if they’re assured a spot in a quality school — but that locks out those who can no longer afford it." Successful schools, it seems, are a harbinger for gentrification.
The column includes more details on the arguments for why children can be so troubling to a city's bottom lines, and a policy recommendation from DePillis.
FULL STORY: It’s hard to build cities for kids. But do they really need them?
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?
Kids and Urbanization
The question of whether there is space for children in rapidly changing cities was under investigation in two recent studies with somewhat contradictory findings.
Where the Children Are
Richard Florida counters the idea that children and families are disappearing from U.S. cities.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
