Here’s What Happens When You Prioritize Kids Over Cars

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

As a former child I endorse this change !

[@eugenetswong]

This looks a lot like fun. Hopefully I can be a child when i grow up.

[@NeverGonnaGiveYouUp71]

I'm 14 (It's my birthday today) and I hope more cities change before I become an adult.

[@morosis82]

​@@NeverGonnaGiveYouUp71 luckily for you it seems to be a trend. The places that do so see better economic activity as well as better community markers, and there's nothing like more money to be made to help stuff like this become more frequent.

[@jeffreywilliams3421]

As a former child, I would like a candy bar

[@ayhay4686]

As a former child immigrating from a developing country, adults always manage to find a place to park, either near the building where they live or in another block. I don't know where this self entitlement comes from once you land here. 😅

[@zeemon9623]

So you're saying people go outside when the outside isn't designed to kill them immediately?

[@RipCityBassWorks]

I wonder if boomers would ever allow this in the US?

[@dustinDraig]

@@RipCityBassWorks Probably not--it might make it take 45 seconds longer to get to Wal*Mart.

[@timdowney6721]

@@RipCityBassWorks Boomers will complain about kids making noise….

[@zeemon9623]

@@RipCityBassWorks I think there is some progress in some places although it's slow. Things like parking minimums and the absolutely insane zoning codes are being removed here and there so it's not impossible but still far from likely.

[@autismworldtravel]

@@RipCityBassWorksabsolutely not. They played behind the broken glass factory and never complained.

[@NathanaelTak]

She brings up a very strong point that there needs to be places for older kids. So much of play infrastructure, if it gets built, targets small children, and leaves nowhere for big kids to be kids. They end up having to play amongst the small children, and there are safety issues with that sometimes.

[@WhichDoctor1]

i remember that soo much from when i was a teenager. I would have loved to have somewhere i could still climb around and swing on, but the only things like that were for little kids. There are some adult outdoor exercise equipment like adult sized balance beams and monkey bars around now, but they tent to be very much focused on adults. So they are like spaced out one every 50m around the edge of a playing field so you can do a circuit as an exercise routine. But that's still not great for just hanging out and playing. I'm very much not a teenager any more, but I'm sure teens still have those urges to play and be active and physical with friends, without it being a defined "exercise routine"

[@DellikkilleD]

there are places for 'big kids' they are called jobs.

[@PuddiPudding]

@@DellikkilleD Yes, and there also things for 'big kids' called movie theaters with movies with kissing in it intended for leisure. Not everything in this world needs to be boiled down to profit motive or the utility of a person to do labor. They are wanting a 3rd place not a workplace.

[@Marynicole830]

@@DellikkilleD eww. Just… nasty. Let kids be kids for godsake. I hope you aren’t a parent. Kids have their whole lives to waste slaving away at work. Let them be kids while they can.

[@enravotaboyadjiev7466]

​@@DellikkilleD "big kids" here means teenagers, not adults, as teenagers are too heavy for equipment built for small kids. Hope this helps

[@WaffleAbuser]

It’s baffling that this was even considered a “risk” and “scary”

[@FarHowling]

Safety concerns are wild nowadays. You have people debating online whether or not it is safe to let your children collect feathers off the ground.

[@WaffleAbuser]

@ And at the same time, having cars freely roam in the same space was not a risk in any way. Really strange

[@memethief4113]

@@WaffleAbuser oh no it was a risk, a huge risk that it would slow down cars! we can't have that, those children need to get out of the way

[@SuperMadman41]

@@FarHowling Avian Flu fears

[@Boni-i1l]

Yes, we the "Boomers" actually as kids learnt very quickly to get around safely while playing in busy cities. It is an irony because all of these whimsy remarks here in the comments. We zoomed around parking cars with and without bicycles, climbed trees, played in the ruins of WW2, had district "wars" with each other, played soccer int he middle of roads with cars passing by (slowly), we chased, trapped and shot small animals, swam in the mighty rivers alone (because we knew how to swim really well) and used our sledges in winter in the city park. We always came home with bruises and scratches, running noses and messed-up clothes. They only complains of my parents were when we were late and the clothes really really dirty. These greenish "projects" are triggered and favoured by the next whimsy generations unable to let or even perhaps gently force their own already spoiled kids to go outside to play in the flock. And if they do so, these kids will pull their smartphones out and sit at the next bench around the next corner watching YT videos - hahaha. Why? Because the next parent generation is already so soft, they even cannot say "No!" to their kids and therefore cannot take their kids the mobile phones away. Gentle parenting, hahahah.... Whoever complains about "Boomers" here has no idea on how "rough" we grew up and how much our parents gave a shit about our safety or the weather outside. Oh, and yes, I cannot recall a single accident with one of my many outdoor playmates dying or getting seriously injured. This is all a joke of a younger entitled generation(s) who believe they know the world. The problem are not the cars and the traffic. It is the permanent access of mobile phones to the even youngest kids, which is supported by the next generations, but really dislikes by us "Boomers" for very good reasons. Kids should grow up in real (adventures) environments and not in these artificial plasticish "worlds". Real life is the real teacher, not such phantasy almost Disney-like - well, whatever it is.... But hey, try it out, but do not complain later. The younger generation knows everything better anyway. Good luck! Pace! from Dresden / Germany

[@Coffeepanda294]

Not just a playground, but a playground that imitates nature, with rocks, little hills, and pieces of wood for them to play with?! So happy to see this!

[@soymilkman]

I think they just need to add some swing benches and then the adults will be just on board as the kids haha

[@DruSerkes]

Truly - add a coffee shop to the corner and you've got yourself a small community hub

[@3nertia]

@@DruSerkes Don't forget the free wifi! xD

[@BackfeetBoi]

​@@DruSerkesCould also help with funding. In case it was built on community ground the shop rent could go towards maintaining the space and depending on how profitable it is maybe slowly pay for the whole project after 10 or 15 years.

[@Sythemn]

I feel like building a world for play, both child and adult focused intermixed, would inherently make a more joyful and connected life experience. I recently got into mountain biking as a 37 yo dude, and saw some town where they had sidewalks, but also mountain bike trails right next to the sidewalks for kids to use on their way to and from school. I'm so jelly. And I 100% want that to be a thing for kids everywhere.

[@MookPanda]

Bentonville, they even have the main flow-trail to the school glow in the dark!

[@radicant7283]

Joyful and connected life doesn't create enough value for shareholders 😭

[@sarahbezold2008]

I *adore* the overgrown wildness of that park. Would have been obsessed with that as a kid

[@MangoCitizen]

It surely brings out the wild side in children.

[@TheSwissChalet]

Yeah, like an artificial nature…or you can simply go to the REAL NATURE in your own yard if you move out of the lab-rat buildings.

[@BarackLesnar]

​@@TheSwissChaletlol good one

[@spaghettiking7312]

A society which requires cars for transportation makes those who can't drive cars (children, the elderly, those who can't afford a car, those with a disability) second-class citizens.

[@barryrobbins7694]

Yes, 1/3 of U.S. the population doesn’t have a drivers license. Accessibility is important. Some viewers might be interested in reading, “When Driving Is Not An Option: Steering Away From Car Dependency” by Anna Letitia Zivarts.

[@Zyo117]

Passengers are second class. Those who have to walk, or ride what public transport exists, are third class.

[@barryrobbins7694]

@ The United States funds and develops cities as if people that don’t drive are lesser than people that do drive. That pathology doesn’t exist in many other places in world.

[@McGirk]

The elderly still drive where I live. They're actually the most aggressive people when it comes to public transportation and cyclists. A few weeks ago I had an old man follow me down the street yelling at me about getting off the road with my bicycle. Today I had an old woman speed up to me and lay on her horn. When I didn't get off the road for her, she passed dangerously close. The elderly are probably the most dangerous people on the road, and they don't really have much left to lose.

[@shadowbeastie]

just because you can't drive doesn't mean you can't use a car. you just become a passenger. and you're not a "second class citizen" you're just not a "driver" of a car. Are you also a second class citizen because you don't own your own airplane when you go on vacation?

[@WhichDoctor1]

"kids dont play outside anymore. they spend their whole life staring at screens" *makes a place kids can play outside again* "NOT LIKE THAT!!! I WANT TO DRIVE MY CAR THERE!!!'

[@sophiepooks2174]

Mostly a myth, most kids in poor neighborhoods play outside all day always have, because it is better than being at "home".

[@lakrids-pibe]

This sounds like a lovely neighborhood to live in. I don't have children myself, but I would love to live in a child-friendly area like this. We can afford to prioritize the cars a little lower without society collapsing.

[@MrBirdnose]

It's nice, except that if you're an adult without kids people give you the stink-eye if you spend too much time in parks that have playgrounds. They pretty much become kid-and-parent-only zones.

[@kainaris]

@@MrBirdnose It's horrible that adults can't even mention liking children in a wholesome way if they don't have kids themselves or they're not professionally linked to children like being teachers etc because people immediately think they're pedophiles.

[@innocentnemesis3519]

It’s cat approved so I’m sold

[@winterwatson6437]

@spiguy meowmeowmeowmeow

[@spiguy]

@@innocentnemesis3519 Keep your cats inside. They kill between 100 and 350 million birds every year.

[@spiguy]

@@innocentnemesis3519 Please keep your cats inside. This exotic species causes between 100 and 350 million bird fatalities every year in Canada alone.

[@GeeksGets]

​@@spiguy Calling cats and exotic species doesn't make your point more impactful. You are correct though.

[@LuckyAtom-dx5yf]

People like you are a virus

[@SeanLamb-I-Am]

I love that it adds more green space to a heavy urbanized area and gives kids a safer place to be and to explore. Drivers will find a way around; they won't like it at first, but they'll get used to it (just as they do with higher gas prices every week).

[@nicthedoor]

This is the kind of thing that can be the seed to a flourishing community. I love seeing it spread across the city. The rest of us in Canada could learn a thing or two.

[@nikhilsrl]

Absolutely Nic. I watch your videos too man and that podcast you do with Ethan and the other dude.

[@anharmyenone]

We had places like that to play when I was a kid. (I'm 60 years old.) Those places had names like "vacant lot with random junk" and "construction site." I'm not making fun of what they accomplished here. Good for them. There should be more parks like that. I'm just pointing out that when we were free range kids and allowed to be adventurous, we found fun like that park all over the place.

[@marshall2389]

I hope we reduce the size of vehicles, the vehicle-miles-traveled, the speeds drivers drive at, and the culture that excuses drivers no matter how much harm they cause so we can return to a society like the one you described with free-range kids.

[@AnotherDuck]

Free range kids are more independent than helicopter parent kids, and that shows when they grow up. I grew up in an area with lots of greenery and spaces between buildings and streets. I wasn't limited to what was safe or boxed in, but what I wanted to do. I like to believe I was well-privileged in my childhood, even without much money.

[@zilfondel]

They redid the street in front of our house a year ago. During the weekends the street was closed and had like 5 excavators in it, with piles of gravel, pipes and other things. AAA all the kids in the neighborhood came out to play on them. It was great. After the street was finished, car speeds slowed (it was a pedestrian rebuild) and there are 10x as many people walking. However, the debris the kids were playing on is all gone.

[@KSPRAYDAD]

I built so many push go carts in my day from random construction material sites...

[@helendale7668]

@@zilfondel when I was a child (in the 60's) there were a few months when our area had huge trenches along the roads as they were installing a new gas main. Was wonderful for playing in and jumping over (and probably very dangerous our parents yelled at us, but I didn't hear about anyone being hurt)

[@stephensaines7100]

Thanks Doug Ford, you're making Toronto potentially unlivable again. Time to consider a move to Montreal.

[@zeighy]

even with their weird language stuff they're doing in montreal.quebec... that feels more tolerable than what Ford is doing weird car-centric stuff in Toronto/Ontario. They call themselves "progressive" conservative, but there's nothing "progressive" on what they're doing. All he's doing is just clinging to old things and way, instead of pushing us forward and learning from the mistakes of the past.

[@quackywhackityphillyb.3005]

Same with me as a hamiltonian, thats why im learning french right now

[@nikhilsrl]

​@@quackywhackityphillyb.3005Same here. I can't move now as my older son is in high school and am concerned about forcing him to move. Hee has already moved quite a few times. I am encouraged by the direction that Montreal is moving towards and hope they can keep this up irrespective of the political party in charge.

[@jeremie1577]

It's not weird, it's preserving french amongst a ocean of 400 millions anglo-speakers​@@zeighy

[@MsMarmima]

Make sure you vote him out instead of moving to Montreal

[@kaitlyn__L]

Wow… this is incredible. I wish the roads around the field outside my school (which people often hung-out on in good weather) had something like this. They just had roads for cars in all sides of the box. It even cut-off the historic market cross so you couldn’t use it without crossing road on either side. I’m a slow walker (which turned out to be due to a disability, I now use a wheelchair), and in my school years many adults (who’d paused in their cars for me to cross) actually very slowly pushed their bumper against my legs when I crossed “too slow” (often)! Which was super scary as an 11 year old! Especially as I’d had my ankle run-over in a mishap at the age of 7, and it brought back those memories. I love how they’ve made the hills good places to sit as well as to play. This is so much better than a plastic slide, especially as teenagers in my town would try to climb on the roofs by slippery outer support poles and the lack of maintenance was often abused to hide alcohol… I also can’t help but be reminded of the ways kids played with mixed materials in the UK in the decade immediately after WW2, when there were plenty of rubble piles of all materials available. They much preferred climbing mounds of gravel and jumping off to the other side, over a slide. This methodology provides some needed green space, with grasses and shrubs, while also allowing for those kinds of play much more safely. I love that the hazard warning poles were so numerous, they became a hazard unto themselves!

[@AnotherDuck]

Yeah, children love areas meant for exploring over guided playing methods. Like, at my school yard back in grade school I (and some friends) often spent time making a base in the middle of a thorny bush thicket. Not exactly an intended playing area.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@ haha, in my first school we had a few bushes (some thorny) that we’d hide behind and “have a base in” too! Unfortunately one teacher saw us hiding there past the end of lunchtime, and had it trimmed so we couldn’t hide anymore 😅

[@موسى_7]

Motorists are a cursed people. They would bump a child with their vehicles for walking too slowly? Why don't they just get out the vehicle and ask you why you walk so slow?

[@phisgr]

my political ideology is whatever that leads to this

[@armandoventura9043]

That kind of ideology is not represented by any North American political party, you better consider leaving the country

[@ianhomerpura8937]

​@@armandoventura9043 you're all free to establish your own political party then

[@bramvanduijn8086]

@@ianhomerpura8937 Or do it outside of politics, so you can actually get stuff done. Unless you think stuff like "apply for a permit" counts as politics, in which case you're just describing "living".

[@RipCityBassWorks]

So urbanism? Same with me lol.

[@phisgr]

@RipCityBassWorks It takes a little more than that.

[@mailleweaver]

The observation of kid-friendly and car-friendly being very different goals can be taken even further. Something kid-friendly is hostile to cars, and the inverse is also true; making something car-friendly is hostile to children. Do you want your entire city/town to be hostile to children? But also keep in mind that adults are not cars. Setting something aside for kids is not taking it away from adults. A place good for kids is a place good for adults, too. We just have to be more true to our human nature, like kids are, in order to appreciate it. There's more to life than driving to/from work, so something that gets a little in the way of that drive and brings our attention to something else is probably good for us, even if it seems inconvenient.

[@ChristopherRayMiller]

Ah, car not respecting their 🛑, as usual, just before the end of the video…

[@OhTheUrbanity]

If you sit there and watch the stop sign, it's constant.

[@JohnFraser-zc8cu]

It's beyond exhausting, especially given the rhetoric they use against cyclists

[@04smallmj]

Shouldn't be surprising considering that stop signs are severely overused in North America.

[@ChristopherRayMiller]

@@04smallmj See @JohnFraser’s comment above for the relevant context: it’s always “scofflaw 𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨”, wouldnchaknow, who constantly toss traffic laws out the window (or so they say).

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Of course, a lot of drivers bribed their DMVs into getting a license.

[@historypeep0965]

During the pandemic I used to troll cars by biking around in a circle to prevent cars from going on our street which was supposed to be a walking only at the time 😅. My street didn't have sidewalks for all the road and I hated when adults were worried about more traffic and lack of parking while I just wanted to have a sidewalk.

[@zlodevil426]

based

[@tyasbank]

Childrens voices and their rights to be equal citizens are SO often overlooked when we design our infrastructure. They can't vote or start procedures, so it's up to us to make sure our society provides spaces for them. We can learn a bit from kids too, as in that some places just have to be 'fun' instead of 'optimized'. And these kind of play areas work wonders for the community.

[@shingshongshamalama]

What's frustrating is that it's not even about inconveniencing adults to keep children safe. Urban infrastructure that isn't tailored around cars is straight up safer, more efficient, more pleasant, and better for EVERYONE. Cities are just BETTER when they're not built like the United States builds cities now.

[@jacobpowell1882]

Playborhood by Mike Lanza makes a great point like this. We need to make going outside more appealing to kids. The outdoors has to compete with cell phones social media and video games. A municipality has a responsibility for creating fun outdoor spaces where its parks, trails, skate parks, pump tracks or what have you.

[@EvaristeWK]

Great video! Could you do an update video regarding Doug Ford's Bill 212? He just amended the bill that protects himself from lawsuits from the bike lane rip up, so now he knows what he's going to do will cause more injuries. And the bill passed as of Nov 25

[@JohnFraser-zc8cu]

This is an essential topic for Ontarians and Canadian as a whole

[@eugenetswong]

That would be a waste of a video. We need a video on how to navigate the political system to defeat the bill. I think that Toronto, the regional district, & Canada will have to take on the challenge.

[@solangecossette1374]

The bewildering part of the bill, is that it impacts *all* municipalities in Ontario - from Kenora, to Timmins, to Ottawa, to Windsor and even Sturgeon falls. Interestingly, the same premier takes certain streets to get to work in Toronto (ie: Bloor street) and does not like getting stuck in truck traffic.

[@la-go-xy]

​@@solangecossette1374Either he doesn't tealizing that making cyclists use their cars again would make th7ngs worse -- or he has another goal?? The bill has about 27 pages, one of which is about bike lanes...

[@LaMerleNoir216]

meanwhile in the US a mom was sent to jail for letting her kid walk somewhere alone.

[@jacktattersall9457]

When I was visiting Sydney NSW (Australia), I went for a walk and came across a little park (actually in the City of Woollahra because Aussie cities are extremely tiny). The park was beside a steep hill up from the neighboring homes. So they put a climbing net over the hill so kids could climb it and otherwise be silly in addition to a slide and steps down the hill. I liked how they had other stuff than just your basic slide and swing we're use to in Canada.

[@OhTheUrbanity]

Paige Saunders has a good video on this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6KUnGtnpJanfcU

[@jacktattersall9457]

@@OhTheUrbanity That's what I was thinking of when I saw your video. I wonder why we don't follow Aussie (and Kiwi) urbanism more in Canada. We have almost identical political and legal and cultural systems. P.S. Funny thing you might not realize: in his video on Bixi, it is revealed that Paige's brother is a New Zealand Police constable.

[@mrodgers3910]

This is fantastic. I'm really impressed by Stephanie, and I'm sure the many many people behind her with the vision and creativity to make this happen. You can really see the potential here for urban spaces to go from alienating (at least for anyone not in a car) to joyful and full of potential. I wonder about the culture in Montreal that makes projects like this able to get off the ground.

[@SenorDevin]

the problem is that we don't have to justify space for cars like this. We don't have to answer the "what about, what about, what about" for vehicle infrastructure. We just do it. Kick people out of homes for highway expansions, separate communities with 8 lane interstates straight through cities, more lanes, more roads and we never have to justify it. But if we want space for HUMANS to exist, suddenly every i needs to be dotted and t crossed.

[@FlyingOverTr0ut]

Great video. Here in LA, I feel bad for parents pushing their baby strollers on sidewalks next to four or six lane traffic. And parents walking with their kids, and kids limited to skateboarding in their apartment alleys and driveways. It's cruel, undignified, bad for their health, and is creating a climate catastrophe those very children will face. Bring on the people friendly streets!

[@Zalis116]

Good thing this isn't Ontario, or Doug Ford would be personally driving a bulldozer to reopen these corridors for car traffic.

[@RealConstructor]

I don’t get why adults in North America can play with their toys outside and they deprive kids from doing so. It characterizes a selfish society which doesn’t allow kids to do the same in this regard.

[@PixelShade]

The silly thing is that we knew all of this in the early 1900s. At least here in Sweden, When looking at how we designed neighborhoods for the working class, the apartment buildings were no taller than 4 making everyone living in these apartments connected to the park-like courtyards that were designed as recreational areas and play ground for kids. Back then cities were built for the people and not for car manufacturers.

[@willcwhite]

This is great to see. I've been so depressed by societal priorities since the lockdown days, when schools were closed but bars were open.

[@Jester5110]

As a born and raised german, I so highly praise this project! This is one hell of a play-area. I would have played there all day long, so unbelievable many possibilities to let your fantasies been played out there! Totally love it! 🥰🥰🥰 Grew up until 10 in a small village, back in the 80s. We had a playground there, but more interresting were those steep hills, the forests around and the small brook throug the village. There was a meadow behind our house, that never got mowed by the owner. The grass grew so high, that us kids crawled thru and build little mazes inside.

[@BossMan-yu1og]

Oh my, it's crazy to think that as a species we prefer lush and green over grey and lifeless. Also, @8:42 what is wrong with people?

[@agatien]

Do you mean you also noticed the car just drive through the stop? I assure you this is the standard motorist behaviour in Montréal. Hence the need for traffic calming.

[@Swiss2025]

Great video . Great urbanism . There is a recent study ( 2024) from Taiwan about the era of myopia . Children need to play outside around 2 hours per day in the sun to avoid myopia . Parents, go play outside with your children , stop watching screens .

[@een_schildpad]

This is awesome!!! I definitely agree, let's build our cities to center joy and support children over cars ❤ Our transportation should enhance life not supplant it.

[@dalgona4819]

As I grew up I've always thought there are fewer and fewer places for kids to hang out with and I find that saddening.

[@armandoventura9043]

The park may be fun for a couple of hours, but these projects need to be all over Montreal in order to give children independence

[@__-fm5qv]

As an adult with no kids this is honestly still great. It is nice to walk through somewhere and see kids out playing and having fun. I believe places like this help build a sense of community and family, as well as making places safer.

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

Children are the greatest benefactors of urbanism, i think that point cant be overstated enough.

[@bengt_axle]

I rode through this one day and was really surprised to see something that looked wild. It is very ingenious and adds a lot of appeal to the neighbourhood. And one thing to consider is that it is located right beside a huge park, so it makes sense. However, many of these wonderful projects would be considered wasteful nuisances by Doug Ford and his minister of Transportation. It is important that Torontonians see this project, given what is currently being contemplated about removing bike lanes in Toronto, and giving the provincial government authority over municipalities to manage their bike infrastructure. A project like this could be easily killed in Ontario, by people who don't even live in the area.

[@geoff5623]

This looks like its bringing the best part of growing up in a suburban neighbourhood to the city - the undeveloped lot on the edge of the neighbourhood with dirt piles and scrap construction materials 😄. Though ours was a bit bigger, and the kids built a dirt track for BMX and mountain bikes 😎

[@melissahalle8398]

Didn't know about this project even though i live in montreal. Great stuff! I often see kids use alleys to play but things like this are a great addition instead of just a concrete lane between buildings

[@CampingforCool41]

I would have loved that natural island as a kid. I used to play “survival” every day on the playground, where wood chips became meat jerky and firewood in our imagination. The only improvement I might make here is maybe making a small cave-like structure. Kids love little caves.

[@luckycatdad8369]

I can't imagine this ever passing in Toronto. This city has insanity NIMBY opposition to everything except cars.

[@EmperorNefarious1]

This is lovely, kids really don't get space anymore, and it makes me sad. My walks through my former neighborhood and the odd silence was what got me into Urbanism. Where were the kids? It can't be just games and internet. That existed when I was a kid.

[@mononoke813]

So basically life quality improves when we prioritize important issues over the self-interest of grown adults acting like spoiled brats… Imagine that!

[@mlaroche2009]

Even as an adult, these tables make going out with friends great! Atmosphere is better outside, nobody is pressed for time

[@ElizabethTravelsNow]

The best park with spaces for kids I have ever visited was Pease Park in Austin. It was art, nature, cool climable natural playgrounds, a little creek, water play fountains... It's an amazing place, wish more cities would build places like that.

[@sjargo11]

It’s really sad to think that the people constantly yelling “THINK OF THE CHILDREN” are often against these kind of things 😢

[@DutchinCle]

Thanks for watching until the end? lol I always do this channel is one of my favorites. Im staring out the front windows of my house looking at this 3 lane road and dreaming of traffic calming and a park. "I wonder how I could get this started?"

[@fishwolf8585]

This project is so cool. I have never thought of a “natural playground,” but of course now having seen it, it seems almost obvious-the little hills and spots to climb and hide look so fun for kids, and prettier for adults than metal and plastic jungle gyms on concrete. Thank you for sharing this unique play space!

[@fluuufffffy1514]

As a grown ass adult, lemme say: that place looks FUN!

[@Lundix]

4:12 "There was some worry about risks posed by snow and ice in the winter..." As a Norwegian: I'm sorry, *what?* That seems really bizarre to me.

[@SunnySunburstx]

As a canadian myself that's really bizarre as well. 🤣 I used to suit up as a kid and play around the snow for hours almost daily. When there was ice adults told us to be careful but that's it. It's just coming up with excuses not to have this infrastructure at this point.

[@Lundix]

@SunnySunburstx Either that, or the concern was voiced by someone who is almost completely inexperienced with play outside of urban environments. If you've never spent time in places like this in winter, I can partly understand the apprehension.

[@CannedFishFiles]

What a cool place to play pretend. It really looks like a magic island.

[@aurora571000]

Those school buildings are not surrounded by fences and look like fortresses😮 Must not be in the US

[@OhTheUrbanity]

School playgrounds will often have fences, especially if they're near a busy road, but aside from that you wouldn't typically expect a fence around a school here, yeah.

[@Amanda-C.]

I haven't been inside a school in a while, but I'm pretty sure it's about as "fortified" down here south of the US/Canada border as it is up there. Chain link fences to keep the kids from running into traffic are about as far as it goes. You hear about places adding security doors and metal detectors, paying a lot of money on training and cameras and so on, but it varies a lot region to region and school to school. They haven't radically re-engineered the school buildings around my hometown or around where I currently live.

[@marie-andreec5164]

Thank you for doing this video. All we ever hear about are the people who aren't happy with something, but it's important to hear the counterpart, with people who are happy with new things.

[@RodMesa-e2t]

Excellent use of nonessential road spaces. Kudos.

[@smallstudiodesign]

One thing I love about the French is their commitment and dedication to their children and communities.

[@test40323]

thinking outside the box. disrupting the pattern that creates dehumanization in urban life. what could be more life affirming than creating little oasis in an otherwise sterile urban environment?

[@jfolz]

I mean seriously, why is that road at 7:25 even there? Who needs it? Why did anyone ever think it would be a good idea to build it?!

[@catprog]

I am guessing but it could of been a line of parking spots.

[@TheJoaveck]

The first time I see a SAFE cycling path in Canada. Wich means that their roads are completely seperated by the parked cars. Something you'll see everywhere in The Netherlands. I was in Montreal back in 2016 and I wish I would have seen it.

[@38snipshow]

Montreal, yet again, is doing some of the most impressive tactical urbanism projects in North America. Amazing

[@lorenkelley1568]

Thank you for this video! Hats off to Ms Watt and whoever joined her to work on this. It's been a long time since I was a kid, but I can totally see how a kid would be drawn to these places to explore, play, and daydream and whatever. Love it.

[@tielmaster7879]

We have some pedestrian only zones in NYC, and they've been great. I don't think we have any focused around kids though. This looks like a great idea!

[@DainnaWatson-Haro]

Well done Montreal!

[@realquadmoo]

Omg this gave me a huge smile. I’m getting into serious advocacy, thinking about what I can do to get us not only building TOD but COD (Child Oriented Development lol)

[@MocSomething]

"Snow is an important play material and here there is an abundance of it" Yeah my first immediate thought was "yeah... For now..."

[@HF7-AD]

It's not warming, it's climate change, winters get harsher as well as summers

[@NoNotThatPaul]

Great work, we need more of this!

[@DietWarlord]

People > Cars

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

im just shocked that this has proven beneficial to child well-being rather than being plopped into an SUV

[@LoveToday8]

If anyone in Chicago wants to see this, please get involved with and donate to Better Streets Chicago. They are trying to bring something like this to Chicago.

[@EricaGamet]

I was just remarking about an informal play area in the city I grew up in (my mom still lives there). It's on city-owned land, I believe... but it's basically several blocks' worth of open space with bike trails and jumps, all made by and for kids. There are trees that have sprouted up and lots of tall grass to play in. The remarkable thing is, I used to ride my bike on the jumps... in 1982! I was remarking to my mom, who still lives close to the spot, how kids have been riding their bikes and having adventures there for at least 40 years. It's crazy that my nieces (who are in their 20s now) also had this awesome play area. I know there has been talk about posting NO TRESPASSING signs, but I'm thinking if there hasn't been any major issues in all these years, why worry about it now? Anyway, I was just thinking about this yesterday and felt this video was very timely in the realm of places for children to be children!

[@GoddessOfTheWinds]

This is amazing progress. After how much the car lobbyists screwed us over by removing public services and public spaces to add cars and (parked) cars, it feels good to see the progress Montreal (overall) is making toward less cars and more bikes, public transportation & green spaces.

[@kidhfajuhi]

So funny that people were worried about where the cars will go and in this whole video there wasn't a single car on that road. Quietest road in the world and drivers still think they need extra space. Typical

[@translucentbricksky2086]

We need more of this!

[@obsidianagent]

This makes even a childfree adult happy. The place is so much more HUMAN when you add spaces for children and teens. Also, if I was living there, I could totally see myself relaxing on on of the hills on a summer night after the kids bedtime :D

[@bluedarkness7125]

I welcome them! Even if I am childfree, I will feel more comfortable with that change. Overdependent on car is hell a annoying!!!

[@bgtyhnmju7]

As a guy that drives a big diesel truck - I approve of this idea.

[@ultimobile]

converting vehicle roads into pedestrian spaces can transform their attractiveness. The main street of central Sydney (Aus) was first converted to a tram line to remove the horridly offensive solid line/wall (pedestrians couldn't cross the street!) of noisy polluting buses during peak hours, then gradually converted to full pedestrian width (emergency vehicles only). Since then the city, previously empty outside working hours, has become full of happy lingering families and people of all ages simply coming to enjoy the city buzz - it's wonderful ! ☺

[@sebastiansullivan4770]

When I visited montreal last year it was apparent how much more they care about the city being a great place for pedestrians and kids. They want it to seem fun I think. The rest of ontario could use the same attitude.

[@TheTroyc1982]

we are too busy banning new and ripping out bike lanes in Ontario. our cities are just places for suburbanites to dry through.

[@StoyanBorov]

In Easern Europe we have plenty of a such playgrounds, but they are being converted to parking lots.

[@TheCoralie87]

😥

[@papaya8634]

I love it. Shows that humans are indeed capable of building something beautiful

[@eslachance]

I pass by this very installation very often, because my son goes to Père-Marquette and I have to pick him up or drop him off once in a while. I also ride by here often on my electric unicycle. What`s interesting, I think, is that 2 streets down from this, on the corner of Rosemont and Marquette, there's a whole lot of foot and bike traffic and absolutely no way for anyone to cross safely. There's a lot of car traffic, no stop sign, and teenagers attempting to cross every morning and evening, and then there's parents and busses dropping off or picking up kids, and then there's the normal local traffic. As someone who drives regularly, obviously there's a part of me that gets a little frustrated when streets are blocked off, when one-way streets cause me to have to go the long way around everything, when an intersection takes a long time due to stops signs and more lights and all of that... but I'm also a parent, and I'm also cyclist-adjacent, so I want MORE bike and walking infrastructure, and better infrastructure. I applaud all of the projects that have been shown here, and I want more of them.

[@altamiradorable]

Not so long ago (1975-76) there where real natural forrests in Montréal ! I remember the one we used to explore corner of Rosemont Boul. and Carignan. Our biology teacher would take us there for research. Now, it'sall gone giving place to housing.

[@aaronbono4688]

All that video footage and I did not see a bunch of kids playing around in these kid-friendly areas.

[@BluePhoenix_]

Yeah, because you totally wouldn't try to film during school hours. Seriously, turn your brain on. If you want to show the place itself and the concept, you will film when you won't encounter any issues. Kids are loud. Many kids are very loud. When can you film without noise disrupting the filming? During school hours.

[@aaronbono4688]

@BluePhoenix_ if you're going to do a video talking about making kids spaces for kids and you want to emphasize the fact that it's good and being useful and was worth the project then you want to show it when it's being used by lots of kids. Turn your brain on.

[@smebzg]

What a great showcase of a project! Thanks!

[@enib5989]

Trés belle. Dans ma ville de Toronto nous besoins ce type de consideration pour les enfants, et pour un jolie vie de la rue, malheureusement, le change c'est difficile, et a la fois en reverse.

[@fod79]

Malheureusement l'opposition aux vélos est forte à Toronto...

[@Swiss2025]

Toronto is a city built for cars, pollution, traffic , poor urbanism.

[@atavanH]

I see a GIANT Tree of Heaven growing in the playground. Ya'll might wanna get rid of that invasive tree before it gets any bigger.

[@ClaudiaEhrhardt]

I'm from Germany and lately some cities use existing buildings (one story) at a central place and turned one side into a climbing wall. The ground was changed, too, so if one falls it won't cause injuries. At an old rail road which is out of work for decades they put some halfpipes, etc. And in a mainly residential area in summer part of a parking lot got turned into a space to hangout for teenagers with space for graffitis, a halfpipe and more. But we still need more of this stuff!

[@abdullahrizwan592]

As someone with young siblings, I know they would ADORE this place. All the bushes and plants make it a great place to play hide and seek. And the hill would be fun to run up and down.

[@krinkrin5982]

This reminds me of places of my youth. Best fun was had in areas that were left undeveloped for years, overgrown and with old infrastructure. Never had any issues, and my parents never worried about me.

[@RichardRenes]

And if the kids are happy, the parents will be happy...

[@nighthawk3045]

Awesome work!! Here back home in Denmark, when we cut of a road from the rest we plant a few bushes and trees to separate the two areas without stopping people from walking and biking through.

[@jellylemonade1655]

When I went to Denmark, I saw so many bikes

[@bennyflint]

This is amazing! City kids need places to explore too!

In the meantime I visited the north eastern part of Calgary and see a new housing estate being built (aka housing compound or dormitory district) being built, but it is so car dependent you'd have thought the city planners were still stuck in th 1950s, but a worse version of it. It was so depressing. It didn't even feel like a human outside of the car was ever seriously considered, for fear of offending cars. This video reminds us what is important in building cities. It is not just about human oriented cities and communities, but ones that take into account the children too.

[@CaptainFalcon333]

I have something like that around my neighborhood, a small street was closed to be replaced with what looks like a hockey cosom field, enclosed by wooden borders similar to an outdoors skating rink. There's a school yard and a church with a park next to it, with another building owned by the school across the narrow street. The park was fully upgraded last summer.

[@xcoder1122]

You cannot solve problems by removing parking spaces. Cars don't disappear just because you remove parking. People won't buy fewer cars just because you take away parking spaces. If you want fewer cars, you have to make sure that fewer people need cars. If fewer people need cars, fewer people will buy cars, and if fewer people buy cars, there will be fewer cars, and if there are fewer cars, you will need fewer parking spaces. That's the only way to do it. So think about how you can give people a life that's not worse without a car, that's the key to solving this problem. Most people would be prepared to give up their car in a heartbeat if it meant they didn't have to accept any serious disadvantages or significant additional costs. The key to using less space for parked cars is to provide better parking. For example, if you have a multistory parking garage, you can park 160 cars in the same space that would otherwise fit only 20 cars. And if you don't have the space to build a multistory parking garage, or you don't want to build a huge structure, you can go underground and build underground parking garages. They are not even visible, and they can even be built under existing buildings.

[@spiderpickle3255]

I'm grateful I grew up across the street from a park so I had the opportunity to play outside with only minor concerns over cars