ABSTRACT
Overview .......................................................................................................................... 824 Children and Play ............................................................................................................ 825 Children in Streets ........................................................................................................... 826
Complete Streets ......................................................................................................... 829 Walkable Neighborhoods ............................................................................................ 829 Kids Walk-to-School Safety Rules ................................................................................ 830 Bicycling ...................................................................................................................... 832
Safe Communities ........................................................................................................... 834 Crime Prevention through Environmental Design ........................................................ 834 Wayfinding ................................................................................................................... 836 Public Hazards ............................................................................................................ 837
Public Buildings ............................................................................................................... 838 Sizing Places to Children ............................................................................................. 838 Escalators .................................................................................................................... 841 Moveable Public Furniture ........................................................................................... 843 Amusement Parks ........................................................................................................ 844 Stadiums ...................................................................................................................... 847 Residential Environments ............................................................................................ 848
Children with Disabilities ................................................................................................. 849 Community ...................................................................................................................... 853
Impoverished Neighborhoods ..................................................................................... 853 Children in Natural Environments ................................................................................ 854 Child Participation in Urban Design ............................................................................ 855 Community-Based Child Injury Prevention Programs ................................................. 856 Smart Growth Principles .............................................................................................. 857
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 857 References ...................................................................................................................... 858
OVERVIEW
Young children’s neighborhoods* are central to their development, second only to their families. As children become older, more independent, and their territory expands, their immediate neighborhood tends to become less critical. Effectively designed environments are more than functional. These may
support child-directed and developmentally appropriate activities, promote children’s health by continuing to shape their eating habits and physical activities as they mature, affect the perceived and actual safety of their environments, and provide children with opportunities to learn how to interact with others and develop a sense of self.
