a youth cut off from nature

The High Family Council is concerned about “environmental amnesia” among children, who grow up far from nature. Initiatives are necessary to give them access to natural spaces again.

The city is becoming more and more inhospitable for children

Confined to their rooms, today’s children spend more and more time on screensoften to the detriment of outdoor activities. This trend is confirmed by the High Family Council (HCFEA), which warns of a “generation of indoor children”. This sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of obesity, stress and other health problems. With the growing feeling of insecurity, many parents prefer to keep their children at home, perceived as safer than outside. However, experts point out that this choice is not without consequences: isolation limits social interactions and the development of emotional and physical skills in young people.

At the same time, the city is becoming more and more inhospitable for children, with public spaces designed mainly for adults and urban planning poorly adapted to the needs of young people. Narrow sidewalks, bans on games and the absence of greenery hamper outdoor activities. Certain particularly disadvantaged neighborhoods also suffer from a reduced offer of leisure activities, with families often being financially constrained. This situation limits the autonomy of children, who depend more on their parents’ car to get around.

Read also – A law to ban screens for children under three years old?

Lyon and Strasbourg, good examples of “child-friendly” urban development

Faced with this observation, the HCFEA proposes different ideas to reintegrate children into public spaces. The idea of ​​“school streets”, which limit car traffic near schools, would allow children to play safely. Cities such as Lyon or Strasbourg are also experimenting with “child-height” arrangements and “adventure grounds” to encourage play without constraints. In rural areas, initiatives such as “nature trails” aim to restore old paths to facilitate travel on foot.

To respond to this problem, the HCFEA calls for a “15-minute green city” where every child would have access to a natural space within a fifteen-minute walk. Upgrading school and family outings, relaxing the standards surrounding outdoor activities and raising parents’ awareness of the importance of children’s autonomy are all levers envisaged to reverse this worrying trend.

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