hackertube.io

Why We Won't Raise Our Kids in Suburbia

Not Just Bikes · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Transit, cities & urban planningSocial issues & culture

What it is

Not Just Bikes argues that car-dependent suburbs rob children of independence, contrasting North American suburbia with Dutch cities where kids walk and bike on their own. It is the creator's remake of an earlier video on the topic.

Why Hacker News recommends it

The standard link in threads about child autonomy, helicopter parenting and car-centric planning.

  • 7 people recommended it
  • 7 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2022, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “Watch some videos from this channel”

    Channel showing US road infrastructure falls short on safety.

    xputer, 2022-07 · Recommendation · in “Why we ignore thousands of daily car crashes”

  2. “NotJustBikes has some excellent videos on the differences between US and European cities”

    Differences between US and European cities.

    evolve2k, 2022-08 · Recommendation · in “Marc Andreessen says he’s for new housing, but records tell a different story”

  3. “You might be interested in this”

    Raising kids in non car-dependent places.

    NegativeLatency, 2022-10 · Recommendation · in “Barcelona-style “superblocks” could make cities greener and less car-centric”

  4. “There are a lot of excellent videos about this sad problem, like this”

    How suburban infrastructure removes children's independence.

    noahtallen, 2022-11 · Recommendation · in “Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile”

  5. “Yet again this video on how there is something deeply, horrifyingly wrong with raising kids in American suburbs is apt.”

    Case against raising kids in American suburbs.

    CalRobert, 2023-02 · Recommendation · in “Connecticut Parents Arrested for Letting Kids Walk to Dunkin' Donuts”

  6. “Not Just Bikes has a really good video on why suburbia (usually single family housing) is often worse for children than denser environments.”

    Why suburbia is worse for children than dense neighborhoods.

    ignormies, 2023-04 · Recommendation · in “Kids Toys Suck (2011)”

  7. “There's a great video by the urbanist youtuber Not Just Bikes about this very topic”

    Moving to the Netherlands so kids can play and meet friends independently.

    malermeister, 2024-01 · Recommendation · in “Safetyism killed playtime”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: suburbs, netherlands, car dependence, child independence, cycling

Also recommended by the same people