Moving Kids Around a City

The kids and I recently visited Seattle for their Spring Break. We stayed with friends on Capital Hill and I was reminded how much I love density. Their house is located just around the corner from Volunteer Park with a great playground, greenhouse and museum, and just blocks away from a convenient bus connection, great restaurants, grocery stores, bookstores, garden shops, and yoga studios. The kids and I rarely used our car. It was great and the kids loved it. While riding the bus down through Capital Hill, my son kept thinking we were already downtown because of all the shops, stores and folks on the street. Both of my kids loved watching the city pass them by as we rode the bus around.
Sure there are some disadvantages, if you choose to think of it that way—my friend’s historic home is within 10 feet of her next door neighbors, on both sides, she can see directly into their homes, if she chooses; she has a small front and back “courtyard” for a yard; they park on the street in front of their house (no double car garage connected with the house). You can hear the hum of I-590 from their deck overlooking Lake Washington. It is in the city and it is just as it should be. Expansive lots, two and three car garages just don’t belong in the city.
Of course living in a city and visiting are different experiences. While I was being a tourist, she drove around Seattle a lot, shuttling her kids to and from schools, music lessons, t-ball games and dance classes. Finding a way to sustainably move children around in a city can be a difficult job. I have some friends here in Spokane who ride their bikes everywhere as a family. Last weekend he and his son rode their bikes from 14th on the South Hill up to Miller’s Hardware. I was quite impressed. His 6-year-old was a bit too tired on the way back so they rode the bus home. They have become mindful of what they take on as a family and if it will require them to drive. Piano lessons are searched for and found within the neighborhood, dance classes, they can ride their bikes to, etc. Their children are also fiercely independent. Their 10-year-old daughter either rides her bike to school (about 2 miles) or rides the city bus alone.
Now, when I was nine-years-old and growing up in Spokane, my friends and I thought nothing of riding the bus downtown (by ourselves) and shopping for posters, gummy bears and other great trinkets for 2 or 3 hours. I bet most Spokane parents would never let their kids do this today. What has changed today, that we don't feel safe letting our kids move more freely in our cities? // Juliet

Following are some links to related articles/conferences about childhood mobility in cities.
http://ecoplan.org/children/ch_index.htm

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oewilliamson29mar29,1,7336979.story?ctrack=2&cset=true