Can the neighborhood built environment make a difference in childrens development?

Have you ever heard the saying “You are what you eat”? When dealing with children and their environment it is the same concept due to the fact that your neighborhood is a reflection of you.  Neighborhoods are locations where children spend large periods of time outside of home and school. They help to set the trajectories for children ongoing physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Children resemble sponges, they grasp onto everything they see and hear that is why it is important to have a safe and positive environment for them to grow. Having a livable and pedestrian-friendly neighborhood for children is gaining attention worldwide. It has been proven that when children live in a more walkable neighborhood, with well- connected streets with safe crossing points; footpaths, local destinations, and low traffic volumes and speeds are more likely to be physically active compared to those living in less walkable communities. Many say it takes a village to raise a child and they could not be more correct, having other people to go to for advice or even just a safe haven is important for a child’s development; it is a crucial part in whether or not a child will grow up a menace or respectable individual to society. Your neighborhood does shape you into who you are and who you will grow to be that it is why it is so important to be in a positive upbringing neighborhood and environment.

Reference 

Can the Neighborhood Built Environment Make a Difference in Children's Development? Building the Research Agenda to Create Evidence for Place-Based Children's Policy. (2016). Academic Pediatrics, 16(1), 10.