Burned-Out Parents Need Better Public Spaces
To ease the burden on families, we need places to let the kids roam free.
Philadelphia’s Playstreets program served as a free city-spanning summer camp during the pandemic.
Photographer: Ken McFarlane/Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
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Family life has always been stressful. But a recent declaration by the US Surgeon General that parenting is a public health crisis has reignited conversations about how families might stop the endless spiral of expectation. What’s been less discussed is how the physical design of housing, transportation and public space makes life harder by increasing commute times, reducing communal play spaces and creating barriers to children’s mobility.