Small Steps, Big City: Designing Streets for Children

Most cities are planned for cars, not for kids.

In one neighborhood, parents told the city council that their children had nowhere safe to play.

The council listened and started a small project called "Play Streets." Every Saturday morning, one road near the school closes to traffic for three hours.

Children can draw with chalk, ride bikes, and meet friends outside.

Since the road is flat and wide, even young children can move around freely.

Parents sit on benches and talk while they watch.

The project also added two new crossings with bright colors, so drivers slow down near the school.

After six months, the number of children walking to school rose by thirty percent.

Some shop owners worried about lost business at first, but sales actually stayed the same.

The city now plans to copy this idea in five more areas.

"A good city," one planner said, "is one where a child can go outside without fear."