What Adults Lost When Kids Stopped Playing in the Street

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses how the dominance of cars in modern society has made life harder for adults by turning children's play into work for parents and depriving adults of the ability to connect with their neighbors.

🙋 Q&A

[01] What Adults Lost When Kids Stopped Playing in the Street

1. What was the experiment conducted by Amy Rose and Alice Ferguson on Greville Road in Bristol?

• Rose and Ferguson applied to shut their quarter-mile road to traffic for two hours after school on a June afternoon to let the children who lived there play, without preparing any games or activities.
• The results showed that the dozens of kids who showed up had no problem finding things to do, and the experiment also helped the adult residents get to know each other better.

2. How did the dominance of cars impact children's play and adults' ability to connect with their neighbors?

• The dominance of cars has turned children's play into work for parents, who are left coordinating and supervising their children's time and ferrying kids to playgrounds and play dates.
• It has also deprived adults of the ability to connect with the people living closest to them, as the streets that used to be places for people to socialize and sell wares have become prioritized for the movement and storage of motor vehicles.

3. How did the shift to a car-centric society undercut the notion that children have a place in or near the road?

• Suburbanization, school consolidation, and court-ordered school busing made it impractical for children to walk to school, and warnings about "stranger danger" further curtailed children's freedom.
• Efforts within the auto industry shifted the blame for traffic deaths to children and their parents, with curricula teaching children to avoid the streets and motorists being told that higher speed limits made roads dangerous for children.

[02] Reclaiming the Streets for Children's Play

1. What is the "play streets" initiative, and how has it been implemented in different countries?

• Play streets emerged in the UK about a century ago as a compromise to allow children to play in the streets, but they largely dwindled out before being revived in the late 2000s.
• Similar initiatives have been launched in cities like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, with organizations like Playing Out helping residents in the UK set up their own play sessions.

2. What are some of the benefits and challenges of the play streets initiative?

• Play streets help adults reclaim a sense of community and connection with their neighbors, as the process of shutting down the road brings people together and children's play alters the feel of the street.
• However, the effort required to coordinate and steward the road closures means that play streets sometimes fizzle out over time, and they may not be sufficient to transform the way kids or adults use the street on busier roads.

3. What does the article suggest is needed to truly restore a culture of street play?

• Truly restoring a culture of street play will require more far-reaching, permanent changes to the built environment, which would meaningfully improve the well-being of children, parents, and every person on the street.