How the Autocentric Lifestyle Hurts Our Kids

Last week, several of our Streetsblog Network member blogs picked up on a recent policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), "The Built Environment: Designing Communities to Promote Physical Activity in Children." It examines how sprawl harms the nation's children by reducing physical activity, and how denser development, traffic-calming measures and more parks could result in better health for America's young people.

Another way to schlep the little ones. Photo by raffik via Flickr.

Today, we're featuring a post from the Fresno Bicycle Coalition about another pernicious effect of the autocentric lifestyle: the over-dependence of children on their parents, and the frenzy of structured after-school activities made possible by the automobile:

There's no question that you can overschedule your children even without a car. But if you're not driving them, they're going to be getting the "utilitarian" physical activity of walking, biking or scootering to their activities (the AAP notes that type of activity is an important, and often lacking, part of daily life for children and adults alike). They're going to have more sense of independence, and be able to make the trips on their own at a younger age (the virtues of that kind of autonomy are well-argued in Lenore Skenazy's new book, Free-Range Kids). There will be an organic limit on how far, and how long, you're willing to travel. And the kids won't be looking at the back of your head during the journey.

In related posts from around the network, Walk Bike Berks County writes about how Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell has at last announced the release of $76 million in Safe Routes to Schools funding, and Bike Commute Tips Blog discusses bike commuting while pregnant.