Cities across the country are rethinking how they design neighborhoods, schools, and services to support children who aren’t yet old enough to vote. Local leaders increasingly recognize that young residents make up a significant share of their communities’ future.
In the United States, about 73 million people are under age 18, according to recent Census data. Planning with this group in mind isn’t just compassionate—it’s practical.
By prioritizing the needs of their youngest residents, these communities hope to build healthier, more resilient futures for everyone who will one day inherit them. Here is how cities are planning for children who are not yet old enough to vote.
Investing in Early Childhood Education
Cities that expand early-childhood programs show they value children long before those children can vote. According to the First Five Years Fund, State-funded preschool enrollment reached more than 1.75 million children in the 2023–2024 school year, reflecting major investment.
By expanding preschool, improving childcare quality, and funding learning centers, cities lay long-term foundations for children far from voting age.
Designing Child-Friendly Urban Spaces
Urban planners now emphasize that parks, playgrounds, and quiet streets are essential parts of child development. WHO reviews show that urban green-space projects can reduce obesity risks, improve cardiovascular health, and support children’s mental well-being.
A recent review of 575 studies found that green and blue spaces promote physical activity, social skills, and psychological health in children.
Research shows that greener neighborhoods are linked to lower obesity risk, better attention, and more active play. Cities investing in safe parks and accessible play spaces are strengthening childhood environments well before these young residents have political influence.
Prioritizing Safe Routes to School
Many cities are redesigning streets so children can walk or bike safely to school, even before they can vote or drive. Evaluations of Safe Routes to School programs show increases in walking and biking of up to 43 percent over five years.
Other research shows walking rates rising from 9.8 to 14.2 percent after SRTS implementation, with biking increasing as well. By adding sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and staffed crossings, cities give children safer daily mobility long before they have an electoral voice.
Expanding Youth Health Services
Cities expanding youth health services reinforce the idea that children’s physical and mental well-being matters long before they reach voting age. School-based health centers now provide primary care, mental-health counseling, and sometimes dental services to millions of students.
Nutrition programs such as the National School Lunch Program supply meals to about 30 million children on a typical school day.
Districts that add breakfast and summer meal programs help families during times when budgets are stretched. By investing in school clinics and mental-health staff, cities help build healthier futures for children who are years away from voting.
Strengthening Environmental Protections
Children face disproportionate harm from pollution, so environmental protections effectively act as child-focused policies. The World Health Organization reviews show that green-space interventions can lower pollution exposure and improve cardiovascular and mental health outcomes. Harvard reviews also find that green spaces reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and attention disorders in young people.
Lead exposure remains a major threat, with hundreds of thousands of U.S. children still showing elevated blood-lead levels linked to old housing and plumbing. Cities enforcing clean-air standards and removing toxic infrastructure are protecting children who cannot shape environmental policy at the ballot box.
Creating Child and Youth Advisory Councils
Many cities now create advisory councils that give young people input on policy even before they can vote. Examples include youth climate councils and citywide youth cabinets that meet with local leaders.
Children and teens often raise issues adults overlook, such as playground safety, mental-health needs, or discrimination in public spaces. UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities framework encourages governments to formalize youth involvement. By giving under-18 residents a voice in decisions, cities recognize that children will live longest with the outcomes of current policies.
Increasing Access to After-School and Summer Programs
After-school and summer programs provide safe spaces for learning and play during hours when many parents work. National estimates show that about 7.8 million children participate, but roughly 24 million more would enroll if more programs existed.
City investments in arts, sports, STEM, and tutoring provide structured support that strengthens both academic and social development. Expanding these programs gives children daily opportunities for growth long before they have a political voice.
Improving Family Housing Stability
Housing stability is central to child well-being, making housing policy inherently a child-development issue. Federal data show that on a single night in 2023, about 28 percent of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18. Research links eviction and frequent moves to poorer school outcomes and higher stress.
Rental assistance and eviction-prevention programs can sharply reduce family homelessness and help children stay in the same schools. Many cities add affordable-unit requirements to new developments to ease burdens on families with children. When cities stabilize housing, they support children who are many years away from entering a voting booth.
Expanding Digital Access for Kids
The digital divide limits educational opportunity long before children can vote. A new report from UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) finds that 15% of school-age children in Georgia don’t have internet at home.
The problem isn’t just local—globally, 759 million young people aged 15 to 24, or roughly 63%, are similarly offline in their own homes, reducing their ability to complete assignments.
City and school-district device programs directly address these gaps. Federal initiatives like the Affordable Connectivity Program help millions of low-income households afford broadband, and many cities supplement these efforts.
By providing devices, free Wi-Fi zones, and public internet access, cities ensure children can participate in digital learning well before they gain electoral power.
Planning Long-Term Infrastructure with Children in Mind
Long-term infrastructure decisions will shape children’s lives decades before they vote or hold office. Climate-resilience projects such as updated stormwater systems and flood defenses help cities prepare for more extreme weather. Transportation investments that expand public transit and active travel support cleaner air and lower emissions.
Green-space expansions bring immediate benefits while cooling neighborhoods as heatwaves intensify. Such interventions reduce pollution, enhance mental health, and lower urban temperatures. Because major infrastructure plans span 20 to 50 years, children and teens—who cannot yet vote—become the primary beneficiaries when cities plan with the future in mind.
Disclosure: This article was developed with the assistance of AI and was subsequently reviewed, revised, and approved by our editorial team.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
15 Foods From the ’60s Most Boomers Loved With a Passion
15 Foods From the ’60s Most Boomers Loved With a Passion
The 1960s were a period of profound social and cultural transformation in America. As the baby boomer generation came of age, they embraced new ideas, fashion trends, and music styles. And when it came to food, some beloved dishes defined this era.
Here are 15 foods from the ’60s that most boomers loved passionately.
