memes

I think of this meme often. My wife and I recently bought a house in a quiet cul-de-sac of a safe older neighborhood. My daughter went from spending most of her time indoors (because there was fuck all for her to do or go, and surrounding streets were busy) to spending probably 75% of her time outside, whether playing with friends or flipping rocks in my garden to look for bugs. It's wild how much a child's interests change when their environment actually provides them the green spaces they need.

I hate that in most places (at least here in North America) parks, trails, and other green spaces are just an afterthought, when we should be planning our neighborhoods around them. But hey, you can't squeeze another cheap manufactured home in between these two other densely packed manufactured homes if there are empty spots for trees and nature.

I am pleased with the city I live in for leaving so much of our forest and river valleys intact. We have an elaborate trail system weaving throughout the entirety of our city, all interconnected, and any time additional roads to ease congestion are proposed, people vote them down in favor of protecting the bands of forest and dealing with traffic. Only the worst people I've known are voting yes to bulldozing chunks of it for the sake of an easier commute.