What Adults Lost When Kids Stopped Playing in the Street
In many ways, a world built for cars has made life so much harder for grown-ups.
TL;DR
- An experiment on Greville Road, Bristol, closed a street to traffic for children's play, revealing a lack of outdoor play opportunities and a decline in neighborhood connections.
- Historically, streets were public spaces for socializing and children's play before the dominance of cars reshaped urban environments.
- Efforts by the auto industry and societal shifts like suburbanization and 'stranger danger' warnings contributed to children being removed from streets.
- Initiatives like 'play streets' and organizations such as 'Playing Out' aim to recreate spaces for children's play and rebuild community bonds.
- These initiatives, while requiring significant coordination, help neighbors connect and foster a greater 'sense of knowing and being known'.
- Restoring a culture of street play may require broader societal changes to the built environment, not just temporary closures.