"Children should be seen. And heard. And consulted. Once the outdoors were unsafe for children to play, to rest, to experiment and learn. We had cars laced into every element of our outdoor spaces, a culture of surveillance that chased teens indoors, and no social support network for parents and caregivers. Yelling at children to get off the lawn became a way of life. Loneliness and post-partum skyrocketed as children disappeared from view; the support was gone. You cannot destroy the nests and then ask why there are no eggs. But we changed that. We created porous communities with a system of once forgotten kinfolk. Guncles and Aunties, Godparents and Neighbors and Good Adults once again took an interest in the lives of children, bridging inter-generational friendships. Villages were knitted together as our youth were no longer policed by officers, but protected by kith and kin. It began by creating physical space to interact. Parking lots were deconstructed and replaced by playgroun...