U.S. cities leave a lot to be desired for raising a family. However, is it really a worthwhile goal to make cities family friendly? Marin Gertler, a San Diego architect ponders the question after a recent visit to New York City.
On a recent trip with his family—kids included—San Diego Gensler architect Marin Gertler enjoyed the trip immensely. In reflecting on the trip however, he noticed few children, and few children's amenities.
He pondered, if NYC, our most vibrant city and home of the "ballet of the sidewalk"—of which children were a significant factor—can't get it right, is there hope for other U.S. cities? Is it even a worthwhile goal to make cities family friendly? In NYC, he noticed, among other things:
The sheer density was another expected challenge, but the physical distance between the various open spaces, parks and pedestrian plazas really was magnified as a family. There is no “green necklace” to move from mid-town to downtown, the Highline does a good job for a short time on the west side but that’s about it.
In reflecting on San Diego, he writes:
We hope that San Diego can learn from the mistake of others and borrow innovation from the best with the goal of being leaders in this aspect. San Diego city is young and there is still time to shape it, but we need to move fast.
For more of his observations regarding New York City, please read the main article.
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