Playing in the Street
Urban planner Angie Schmitt on raising kids in car-dependent America
Substack Notes has gotten good at knowing what I like: takes from people who aren’t consumed with politics about what constitutes a good civic life. That’s how I found Angie Schmitt’s work. I was excited to talk to her today about designing communities that include and engage kids and families.
We also talk about taking the news in with a little more removal in the summer, which feels hard and complicated and privileged and necessary. And outside of politics, Angie talks about the book Shiloh, and I share (truly just a fraction) of my love for The Sheep Detectives.
Topics Discussed
Taking an emotional break from the news without checking out entirely
ICE shootings, cabinet confirmation hearings, and the Iran war
Why car-dependent neighborhoods limit kids’ independence
The nationwide school bus driver shortage
Disappearing teen hangouts and rules around unsupervised kids
How lawsuit-aversion backfires on children’s wellbeing
Rebuilding civic infrastructure — rec leagues, public pools, community schools
Book recommendations: Shiloh and The Sheep Detectives
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Episode Resources
Angie’s book on the rise in pedestrian deaths, Right of Way (Princeton University Press)
The Substack essay on how young adults are poor despite doing everything right (Becoming Noble)
Episode Transcript
Coming soon…
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