Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

A YARD WHERE JOHNNY CAN RUN AND PLAY

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

The front page of today’s WaPo features “Getting Lost in the Great Indoors: Many Adults Worry About Children Losing Touch With Nature” by Donna St. George. It is enough to make you cry.

It should make a lot of BaconsRebellion bloggers wince. All those champions of dysfunctional Autonomobile driven settlement patterns who claim they are investing in big lots for the kids and freedom…

As we point out in our December 2003 column (same title as this post) it is the cumulative impact of all those big, unused lots covered with grass that result in long drives to work, to services and to all the “organized activities” that now fill children’s lives.

Two of the first five “child-friendly assets” we list for places to raise children address the concerns of those quoted in the WaPo article.

Now why cannot WaPo hire editors who understand human settlement patterns and the underlying cause of all these front-page stories?

EMR

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9 responses to “A YARD WHERE JOHNNY CAN RUN AND PLAY”

  1. Groveton Avatar
    Groveton

    “Now why cannot WaPo hire editors who understand human settlement patterns and the underlying cause of all these front-page stories?”.

    Sometimes, when nobody can understand you it’s good to ask if you can be understood at all.

    Lincoln Park is a lovely part of the city of Chicago. It is generally a residential area although it certainly has a lot of small businesses, restaurants, etc. It is also close to downtown Chicago. You can live in Lincoln Park, work in downtown Chicago and never own a car. You could walk or take public transit to basically anything you’d want to do.

    As far as I can tell from your rants against suburbs you’d consider Lincoln Park a “functional settlement area”.

    Are the children of Lincoln Park really spending more time outside casually playing than children in the Washington suburbs? Do they play outside now as much as they did in the early 1950s? Or, are they playing on the computer, playing video games and doing the same “inside things” as the kids in the Washington suburbs?

    The WaPo editors understand the issues quite well.

    Your contention is:

    “As we point out in our December 2003 column (same title as this post) it is the cumulative impact of all those big, unused lots covered with grass that result in long drives to work, to services and to all the “organized activities” that now fill children’s lives.”.

    Lincoln Park does not have big, unused lots covered with grass. Have the residents of that fine place avoided the problems of their kids spending too much time inside? Want to bet?

  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Mr. Groveton:

    You seem to have posted the above note in the wrong place.

    Dr. Risse’s December 2003 column, today’s Washington Post story and this post does not deal with Lincoln Park.

    We are sure there is a place on the Internet for a post on Lincoln Park, but this is not it.

    Anon Zeus

  3. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    M. Risse’s comments about settlement patterns have a deep foundation of irony for me because he lives in one of those giant houses in a small lot in a modern subdivision rather than in the city or in a place more consistent with his perspectives.

    I am a preservationist, and I live and put my wallet there, albeit I do not sell books about it.

    One can write a book advocating no alcohol but still drink. The reader may never know; does it matter?

  4. Reid Greenmun Avatar
    Reid Greenmun

    Gee … there are so many facotrs that lead to our young people no longer being safe to be allowed to roam freely as many of us did.

    I find it ironic that “human settlement patterns” are a significant factor to this, but not in the way I think EMR was considering.

    When I grew up in a affluent suburb in Conn. we kids were free to raom and play because living in our safe suburban neighborhood all of the families knew each other and the stay at home Mom’s kept a watchful eye on us kids.

    Strangers entering our neighborhoods resulted in a phone call to the local precint and soon a squad car would appear.

    We kids were free to explore “nature” because of our safe neighborhoods and a true sense of community that existed.

    I simply can’t believe a urban setting offered anywhere near the access to the great out doors the suburban neighborhood I lived in offered my generation.

  5. Ray Hyde Avatar
    Ray Hyde

    Wow.

    “….the cumulative impact of all those big, unused lots covered with grass that result in long drives to work, to services and to all the “organized activities” that now fill children’s lives.”.

    To start, I’ll concede that there is a cumulative impact of a lot of large lots, and that . cumulativelyly these MIGHT result in longer drives to work and other activities.

    Where we depart is in the idea that these are necessarily less efficient, somehow. Where we depart further is that it is, somehow, the governmensts responsibility to define efficiency.

    Even though I (think) I agree with some of your premises, I agree that plain speeking clarity is not one of your strong points. “Sometimes, when nobody can understand you it’s good to ask if you can be understood at all.”

    My single main argement with your positions is that you are wasting an enormous amount of energy, good will, (and I presume, funding) on fuzzleduck euphemisms for what it is you mean to say.

    I might not agree with them anyway, but the likeliehood that I would agreee would be far higher if I thought they made the slightest bit of sense. Even allowing for agenda driven drivel.

    I also think that Anon Zeus sometimes makes incisive comments. But EMR frequently blasts those that post anonymously. I don’t see him blasting supporters, but I understand why government employees and others might wish to remain anonymous. I don’t care for it, but I understand: we have a long history.

    Back to the cumulative impacts.

    Yeah, OK, my childhood aspirations were fulfilled with playing with a stick. I had a stick horse, a stick baseball bat, a stick bow and arrow, and a stick to throw to my dog.

    I am now unwilling to denigrate what now constitute activities for young peoples lives. I would have liked to become an Olympic diver, but all I had to dive from was a bridge abutment, and if my Mom had caught me doing it, shw would have whipped me into the middle of next week.

    Somehow, I suspect that “oranized activities” might result in young people who are somewhat less of a misfit than I am. You know, greater good and all that.

    So what if it costs more?

    “M. Risse’s comments about settlement patterns have a deep foundation of irony for me because he lives in one of those giant houses in a small lot in a modern subdivision rather than in the city or in a place more consistent with his perspectives.”

    I have tried, not always successfully, to avoid saying that.

    Now that you bring it up, I agree.
    Not only that, but having moved outbound, twice or more, EMR’s comments carry even less weight for me.

    I have moved outbound, twice, also. Like EMR, before that, I also moved inbound. Unlike EMR, I don’t make any bones about the fact that I did it for economic (and family) reasons.

    ————————

    “One can write a book advocating no alcohol but still drink.”

    My favorite country music song is one that says, “Life ain’t hard to swallow if you just chew long enough.”

    I’m sure EMR is a fine fellow: we have not yet met. I’m sure his rationizations are as good as mine, that he loves his family as much. I’m pretty sure we are not so different, really. given are disparate and yet similar backgrounds.

    But, after all our (sometimes indirect) comments, I’d have to say that I wish I had though of the quotation above.

    ———————-

    So, here is the deal: I’m willing to agree that there is a cumulative effect of large yards. No doubt about it.

    We can end that argument now.

    But, today, Chairman Connoly was on the radio devfending the expenditure or 5.1 billion dollars on Metro to Tysons by saying that Tyons is now a larger job center than the central D.C. district.

    I don’t think that is enough reason to spend $5.1 billion, unless we understand what the Return on Investment is.

    I think that is a reason to do something else: move the jobs and other activites closer to the large yards.

    I’m even willing to concede to EMR that there is such a thing as a “greater good” and “long term profits”.

    Now I want to see what they are. In dollars and cents, and years.

    —————————

    Just today, I was talking to a pleasnt young hiring agent at Fort Belvoir, concerning a possble new position. “Well. I said, what is it ging to be like tryig to get to F.B. after the BRAC takes place.

    “Oh, I wouldn’t woorry about it. Right now it is OK, and anyway, most of us are about to be BRAC’ed to Florida.”

    ____________________________

    You heard it here first, and now BRAC’ed is a verb.

  6. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    Bracked to Florida….

    well that’s one way to get “more places” … geeze .. why not Bracked to Spotsylvania? 🙂

    but I do find an irony here and that is that my impression of the reasons that many folks give as to why they want/need to commute to green grass suburbia – and that is usually for kids and family.

    so there is a rich irony here..

    WHO is the demographic market for suburbia ?

    I always thought it was those who wanted families and kids – not the single folks.

    So .. we do have the suburbs.. where we do have a lot of folks with families.. and squads of kids who apparently prefer Game Boys over walks and hikes and bikes – no matter whether they live in suburbia or a condo in NoVa.

    My impression is that Kids in Europe still walk and bike and hike… in part .. because their parents do… of course that could be a wrong impression also…

    but I do think it is safe to say.. if the parents don’t hike – the kids won’t either.

  7. Reid Greenmun Avatar
    Reid Greenmun

    IRT “if the parents don’t hike – the kids won’t either.”

    Huh?

    My wife and I have nevr played Nitend-Dogs.

    My daughter sure does.

    Neither of us have ever been competitive Allstar cheerleaders – my daughter decided to spend a lot of her “free time” learning and competing in that new sport.

    My wife and I don’t play any musical instruments – our daughter does.

    I spend a lot of time blogging – my daughter does not.

    I love to play volleyball, my daughter does not.

    I love football – I am alone in this in my home.

    My wife is all about achitecture – our daughter is not.

    Our daughter ice skates – we parents can ice skate, but don’t do uit because we don’t enjoy it. In fact, I was a fairly good hockey player.

    The notion that if the parents don’t do something, the kids will not do is really is over hyped I think.

  8. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    Anon Zeus:

    You are a little hard on Groveton.

    He is struggleing to make a point and score some points without understanding what he is talking about — the basics of functional human settlement patterns.

    The basics include a comprehensive conceptual framework and the vocabulary to articulate that framework.

    You will note that only Larry Gross addresses the points raised by WaPo or our earlier column on the futility of buying a big yard “for the kids.”

    I will be addressing the snide comment by Anon 8:46. It is hard to tell a book by its cover or intent of a house occupant by the street address.

    We have needed to put down some material on this issue for some time and this will give us a chance.

    Keep up the good work. Abandon the rest, no one can do it all.

    EMR

  9. Groveton Avatar
    Groveton

    Anon Zeus:

    I am aking where there is an example of Mr. Risse’s “functional settlement pattern”. I hold out Lincoln Park as a possible example of a “settlement pattern” that Mr. Risse would find to be functional. If so, we could then examine whether the “settlement pattern” really had anything to do with the amount of time children spent outside.

    However, Mr. Risse’s arguments are Journies to Nowhere. He rails aginst suburban development but won’t provide an example of what he considers good development. Why? Because his absurd contention that “dysfunctional development patterns” are the cause of endless societal maladies just isn’t true.

    I held out Lincoln Park as a possible example of a “settlement pattern” Mr. Risse would find “functional”.

    As always, his response was a non-response critical of all people who find his “reducto ad jibbersh” arguments to be hollow.

    Mr. Risse – please provide an example of a real place in the real world where people are living in what you believe to be a “functional settlement pattern”.

    Once you do this, I will look for local news articles from that place discussing whether the children who live there spend too much time indoors or not. Your contention that large lots covered with unused grass is the cause of children staying indoors too much will then be examined.

    I have offered Lincoln Park as a place you might find functional. You have refused to comment. You know as well as I do that the children of Lincoln Park – just like the children of suburban Washington – spend too much time indoors. You know as well as I do that the problem is too many indoor distractions like game machines, cable TV, the internet, etc. You know as well as I do that “settlement patterns” have little to nothing to do with this problem. And you know as well as I do that if you provide an example of a real place with “functional settlement patterns” we’ll still find kids who are obese, play indoors too much, etc.

    You know all this because you know that your academic arguments can be proven only in the fertile imagination of your mind.

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