Great streets are much more than corridors from one place to another. They're the public spaces that knit communities together, where neighbors can converse comfortably and parents know their children can play safely. Context sensitive solutions, the subject of this month's feature story, recognize that good neighborhood streets support social activity as well as traffic flow. One of the best ways to tell if a street has succeeded in this objective is to look at the way kids use it. As Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogotá and a passionate champion of children's rights, has said, "There is still time to think different... there could be cities with as much public space for children as for cars." When we're no longer surprised to see kids playing in the street, we'll know we've been thinking--and acting--differently.
You know a street needs improvement when...
...kids need to wear special clothes on the way to school.
...the sidewalk doesn't offer a better place to sit than the curb.
You know a street is working when...
...children feel perfectly at ease running errands on their own.
...the bollards have more than one use.
...the best place to have a party is right outside your front door.
...you can go on a family bike ride, and not line up single-file.
...you get inspired to leave your stroller and walk around.
