How accessible is your city to youth?
Are they often freely walking around and comfortably using diverse public spaces (as well as various establishments and institutions) throughout the day and evening?
I still cannot stop remarking upon how, more than any other town or city I’ve lived in (and I’ve lived in dozens), youth here in Radom seem to really comfortably move through and use spaces of the cities at all hours. Youth strike me as a dominant demographic in public space here
This morning, going into what has become one of my morning coffee stops, I was once again struck by the dominant presence of youth (high school teens, particularly) in urban space as well as establishments like the cafe. Just chilling, socializing, on the move, and getting on with their day.
Concerning public transportation, another observation has been that the other very obvious demographic relying strongly on the bus system are local retired individuals.
I live in the suburbs now, and to see the bus being regularly and heavily used by these two demographics is a great testament to how reliable, affordable, and accessible public transportation is, particularly supportive for those who cannot (or don’t want to drive). Without the system, all these individuals would be dependent on their parents to chauffeur them around. In the case of retired individuals, they are then reliant on adult children or others, and often then more limited in their mobility.
I really love seeing the city full of youth of all ages, on their own and getting on with the business of their day, off to school, going to cafes with friends before and after school, and other activities.
One of many (the list is so long) issues I want to further look at in my research, as well as activities at Pedestrian Space.
How is the presence of youth and their freedom to move about in your city?
Dzień dobry!
~Annika