Beyond active travel: children, play and community on streets during and after the coronavirus lockdown

Abstract

As countries have imposed lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, cities have been transformed in many ways. In this short article, we consider changes to urban residential streets in England and call for attention to be paid not only to streets as places for active travel and mobility, but also as spaces of dwelling, playing and connecting, especially for children, their families and communities. We argue that integrating these aspects into the reconfiguration of streets during and beyond lockdown requires an explicit focus on dwelling and on children, as this is vital for the health and well-being of children and of urban communities.