Planning Family Friendly Cities: Context and Opportunities

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Planning Family Friendly Cities Context and
Opportunities
Presented to the American Planning
Association April 29, 2008 Las Vegas, NV

• Mildred E. Warner Ph.D.
• Dept of City and Regional Planning
• Cornell University
• http//economicdevelopment.cce.cornell.edu

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(No Transcript)
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The Challenge

• How can planners create family friendly cities?
• Transportation that Meets Parents Needs
• Link Child Care to Economic Development
• Provide Recreational Services
• Safe Routes to Schools
• Affordable Housing
• Involve Families in Planning Debates

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Rising interest across the US

• Coalitions of Child Care, Business and Economic
  Development Leaders (over 70 across the country)
• 83 of Chamber and business leaders see child
  care as part of economic development strategy
  (New York Survey)
• House Bill to include child care disaster
  planning and preparedness (FEMA, HR 3495, 2007)
• 2008 APA survey on role of planners in creating
  family friendly cities (Evelyn Israel)
• Local Innovation apply planning tools to
  improve services transportation, housing,
  economic development (Kristen Anderson)
• Goal System Change
• Children in the context of families and
  communities (Kellogg Foundation)

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Difficult Context for Family Friendly Planning

• City as Growth Machine Real estate, businesses
  and government
• Goal Increase Tax Base
• Families cost more to serve, do not contribute as
  much to local tax base
• Entrepreneurial City Focus on creative class
• Young professionals and empty nesters not
  families with children
• Devolution and Economic Competitiveness
• Cities burdened with more social responsibilities
• Focus is on economic productivity
• Family Care is Private, Unseen in Economic
  Planning
• Viewed as private responsibility of parents,
  limited public role

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Positive Openings in the Economic Development
Logic

• Labor scarcity especially for low wage jobs
  staffed by young parents, long commutes to work
• Creative Society Need to support more than
  the elite creative class
• Young people are an economic development
  investment
• Brain research, returns to preschool
• Need to attract and keep young adults
• Requires a comprehensive approach

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A comprehensive approach

• Family Friendly Planning addresses needs of
• Children - Human development
• Parents Labor force, support as caregivers,
  quality of life
• Community and Region planning, economic
  development, social infrastructure

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Cornells Linking Economic Development and
Child Care Reports can be found at
http//economicdevelopment.cce.cornell.eduWarn
er, M.E. and G. Haddow, 2007. Child Care An
Essential Service for Disaster Recovery, Save
the Children Issue Brief 3.Warner, M.E., K.
Anderson and G. Haddow, 2007. Putting Child Care
in the Picture Why this service is a critical
part of community infrastructure, Planning,
(June 2007) 16-19.Warner, M.E. 2006 Child
Care and Economic Development The Role for
Planners, Planning Advisory Service PAS Memo,
American Planning Association. Jan/Feb
2006.Warner et al. Economic Development
Strategies to Promote Quality Child Care,
Cornell Ithaca, NY.Shellenback, K. 2004. Child
Care and Parent Productivity Making the Business
Case, Cornell Ithaca, NY.