ABSTRACT
Areas of cities in or near downtown have been the victims of several decades of disinvestment in "public goods" such as parks and schools. To some extent, the issue of children and certain forms of schooling within and around downtowns is already changing. More than a decade ago, day care for young children was introduced into downtowns, sometimes in unusual locations such as office buildings. As with schools, many city parks departments have in the past invested in peripheral locations, with the result that few downtowns offer green spaces. The notion of living a peaceful, pastoral existence removed from the world has been translated into subdivisions of repetitive builder housing with vaguely colonial or "ranch" details, offering an entirely superficial illusion of living in a rural, untouched area. And, of course, the resulting development associated with low-density living has made everyone dependent on the automobile for every single daily function.
