Imagine you are 10 years old.You live in a big city and want to visit your best friend, a fiveminute walk away, and then you can go to the park, another 10 minutes' walk.The problem is that there's a big dangerous road between you and your friend, and another between your friend's home and the park.When you ask your parents if you can walk there, they say no.But they are too busy to take you there themselves.
Instead, you have a video conversation with your friend, or perhaps you play a video game on the sofa.You've lost out on exercise and time outside, interacting with your neighborhood and, of course, play time with your friend.This is the reality for many kids today — but it doesn't have to be this way.
Tim Gill, the author of Urban Children: Growing Up in a Risky Society, says a childfriendly city is one that allows “everyday freedom”， so a child can spread their wings as they grow.“It's not enough to just talk about playgrounds and nice, pretty public spaces.That just creates play places they have to be taken to by adults，” says Gill.
“Society's mistake is that our planning systems just focus on cars, housebuilding and the economy (经济) — rather than the environment, health and quality of life，” argues Gill.“You won't find any urban planners who can disagree with that.It's because our decisionmakers fail to look beyond the next two or three years.”
Tim Gill lists five challenges for urban children in his book: traffic and pollution; highrise living; crime and social fears; inadequate and unequal access to the city.
Designing cities with young people in mind — particularly outdoor spaces that encourage safe movement and social interaction — stands to be an issue of growing concern globally.By 2050 around 70 percent of people will live in cities, and the majority of them will be under 18.Today, over a billion children are growing up in cities.
