What helps make a downtown family friendly? Safe places to play, safe streets, good schools and attainable housing, writes Jennifer Hill.

There are many ingredients that make downtowns friendly to the family. But what are some of the essentials? Writing for the Community Builders blog, Jennifer Hill winnows it down to four keys:
- Safe spaces for play
- Safer streets and sidewalks
- Good schools
- Attainable housing
Says Jennifer: "Amenities like sidewalks, public spaces for play, schools and attainable housing all factor in to making downtowns more family friendly. Increasingly, families like ours that desire to live downtown will be heavily weighing the options of downtown living versus a new house in the latest new suburban development. It is paramount for cities across the Rocky Mountain West to consider how to attract and retain families in the downtown as they plan for additional growth."
FULL STORY: Family-friendly downtown living

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