Vibrant Cities, Just Add Children

I've been posting a lot more about social issues and a lot less about politics than I expected, and today I will continue that trend. The New York Times recently published an article about the lack of children in many American cities. Many medium to large sized cities in this country are being remodeled and redesigned. The new homes are more vertical, and more expensive. This type of development tends to attract young, single folks, and older retirees; two groups unlikely to room children. With most families moving to cheaper suburbs, cities have been emptied of children and many are being forced to close down schools. I didn't realize how large this problem was until the article brought it to light.

San Francisco, where the median house price is now about $700,000, had the lowest percentage of people under 18 of any large city in the nation, 14.5 percent, compared with 25.7 percent nationwide, the 2000 census reported. Seattle, where there are more dogs than children, was a close second.

Cities aren't complete without a diverse range of ages. Children prevent cities from feeling sterile and lifeless. Hopefully this trend can be reversed by making the streets safer (less danger from cars) and creating affordable multi-room apartments and condos.