We let kids design our city -- here's what happened | Mara Mintzer | TEDxMileHigh

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  • Опубликовано: 31 янв 2018
  • As adults, we think of kids as "future citizens." Their ideas and opinions will matter someday, but not today -- there must be a reason the voting age is 18, right? But kids make up 25% of the population -- shouldn't we include them in some important conversations? In this inspiring talk, urban planner Mara Mintzer wonders what would happen if we let children design our cities. Mara Mintzer is a founder and the director of Growing Up Boulder, Boulder’s child and youth-friendly city initiative, based out of the University of Colorado-Boulder. She writes and speaks internationally on the topic of engaging young voices in city planning. Prior to working in Colorado, she designed and implemented programs for underrepresented children, families, and neighborhoods in New York and California. She loves to travel and practice her French & Spanish language skills fearlessly. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Комментарии • 1,1 тыс.

  • @the-uj8hi
    @the-uj8hi 5 лет назад +772

    "Children design for living creatures not for cars, egos or corporations "

    • @alejandroaranda5254
      @alejandroaranda5254 5 лет назад +19

      A powerful quote indeed.

    • @truls9578
      @truls9578 5 лет назад +6

      Dont kids under 10 have the lowest empathy levle of any age group?

    • @luminentarchive
      @luminentarchive 5 лет назад +9

      Drag No. it is not a proven fact.

    • @kiratheusagiisworkshop5266
      @kiratheusagiisworkshop5266 5 лет назад +18

      @@truls9578 I work with kids and don't think that's correct at all. I work with kids up to five years of age and they are all very empathy and cares for those who are sad and wonders and worries about those who are hurt or not doing well.

    • @morgrugg
      @morgrugg 5 лет назад +8

      Children under 2 have the lowest empathy level. Because it is before they learn that other people are actually people, not tools for satisfying their needs. But then they usually go to "oversensitive" even. You must have mistaken the numbers

  • @captainweiss219
    @captainweiss219 6 лет назад +1740

    Who else said yes to the water cannons on bridges?

    • @thebettercandyxd1307
      @thebettercandyxd1307 5 лет назад +29

      absolutely YES xD

    • @nailarahman2420
      @nailarahman2420 5 лет назад +9

      Captain Weiss yesss

    • @sanityisrelative
      @sanityisrelative 5 лет назад +19

      Sitting alone in my living room and I said yes out loud.

    • @amethyst_cat9532
      @amethyst_cat9532 5 лет назад +35

      If I lived there and the water cannons were installed, you can bet I would be daring my friends to try to avoid the water cannons as we kayaked as fast as we could to avoid getting wet

    • @Yaxoi
      @Yaxoi 5 лет назад +12

      Definitely. Kayakers are just the absolute worst.

  • @afriteststudios6961
    @afriteststudios6961 6 лет назад +2064

    "The city friendly to children, is the city friendly to all." That is amazing

  • @trenae77
    @trenae77 6 лет назад +1022

    Even more than giving children a voice, this helps them start to understand how society works from a younger age, and builds up civic awareness.

    • @trenae77
      @trenae77 6 лет назад +28

      I'm sorry you have such a poor experience with your public schools, but I don't see this as an impossible future. It just takes determination.

    • @raapyna8544
      @raapyna8544 6 лет назад +5

      Shufei That sounds scary. You really think that yourself? I take it that the US is not a demogracy anymore and is going towards something like that but I don't really know what it is now.

  • @Lemonjessy
    @Lemonjessy 6 лет назад +845

    Growing up in Australia, I can tell you that parks with zip lines, climbing structures and water-play areas were by far the best ones. We had so much fun and stayed there for all hours of the day. Listen to the kids, they know what they're talking about :)

    • @aussieginger1960
      @aussieginger1960 5 лет назад +10

      I was afraid of heights, I always loved that parks had seats under shady tree's that give me a quiet place to read.

    • @tobifoong8025
      @tobifoong8025 5 лет назад +4

      I wish it was ok for the oldies to do some of these climbing too :-)

    • @akihikokayaba8165
      @akihikokayaba8165 5 лет назад +12

      @Jeremiah Bullfrog uhm the McDonald's coffee being too hot is a legitimate one tho

    • @joecremer3633
      @joecremer3633 5 лет назад

      Akihiko Kayaba No it is not in any way.

    • @mranthony1886
      @mranthony1886 5 лет назад +2

      Sydney also has drinking taps everywhere

  • @allisondoak9425
    @allisondoak9425 6 лет назад +548

    I work for local government, and we have consulted primary school kids historically for strategic plans and we consult kids on playgrounds regularly but we only ever seem to consult a certain kind of teenager: ‘youth leaders’. In high school I resented ‘youth leaders’ because I didn’t conform to what adults favoured in a leader and so my opinions were not valued and engagement wasn’t often possible for me because as a teenager I didn’t want to compromise my values in order to conform, which is fairly typical. I did engage by joining a radical environmentalist group as the youngest member and we were part of real change in the city and beyond via our protests and fund raising, but my contributions weren’t recognised outside of the group and my family, while fellow students who ‘lead’ by implementing a teacher’s idea to make anti-litter signs for storm water drains were.
    Too often the teenagers who are engaged are the ones trying to impress adults and essentially serve as a eco chamber. My town has an excess of skate parks because people over 40 seem to know nothing else about youth culture. All the skaters regularly use only a couple of the parks, because it’s a social sport and the whole spectrum of other teenage interests are underserved. When I was a teenager we wanted indoor space, we wanted jobs or at least a better pathway to jobs after high school (and we had good ideas which were in scope of local government jurisdiction), we wanted spaces for music, we wanted a cbd where us being there wasn’t seen as a nuisance, we wanted food caravans, we thought a solution to the street racing some of us participated might be a race track, we wanted space for recreation that wasn’t sport and so much more. When I say we, I mean my group of friends who were mostly seen as dropkicks. How do you engage teenagers of all kinds and how do you avoid doing it in the class room where there is an additional element of pressure to deliver ideas that adults like? Teenagers are some of our biggest stakeholders, we need them to stay in town as our population is aging at a notably higher rate than other cities, and if we want adults who can engage we need to teach teenagers how and why.

    • @beth8775
      @beth8775 6 лет назад +44

      Seeing some o the other comments about involving teenagers had me asking these same questions. You have to get the outsiders' input too for the same reason that asking young children is important. We need "outside the box" ideas.

    • @brightsalot
      @brightsalot 6 лет назад +27

      👏👏👏👏👏👏 Thank you that youth leader system is total bull. Fantastic commentary!!!

    • @thegardenofeatin5965
      @thegardenofeatin5965 6 лет назад +26

      When I was a college student, I and a few other students were taken out to lunch by the department chair to hear our feedback about the school and the program. He flatly rebutted every single thing we had to say bar none and I heard nothing else for it.

    • @Ravenofthedog
      @Ravenofthedog 5 лет назад +6

      How crazy is it that “youth leaders” are often natural followers who act as echo chambers .

    • @olymolly3637
      @olymolly3637 5 лет назад

      OP, & TEDx.... I just want this comment to be pinned, to be honest, even though what Allie's talking about in particular is just one more step beyond childhood & just off a liiiitle tiny bit from what the video is about, but not really. It's actually the same thing. If only the mass population of leading adults open their eyes, ears & try to remember that the younger people is also people & that they are the next heirs that should live their own lives by their own methods. You can help, nurture & guide them but you have to see their own potentials & not crush them just because they can't conform to your original, STIFF & STUCK ways... Every generations can differ from their previous ones in some, if not all aspects of life. Things may not stay the same however much you want it to - even the Earth grows older & sicker with time & she actually needs us to help her be better for our own sakes, even if we have been growing because of her endless assistance & we don't destroy her faster out of our own greed, heartlessness & failure to be symbiotic with her. I don't know if this weird analogy makes sense but.. I hope I can get across to whoever's reading this, that we people of all generations need to understand each other & live together as a unit & not separated because of generation gaps. It's actually damaging to totally separate/disconnect the generations based on their ages & knowledge or experience limitations. This is what we need to address & overcome by including everyone into every single decision the leading people have ever made, for everyone.
      Anyway, human beings are very dynamic & can grow out of the restrictions they put on themselves, if not on the others. Let the newer generations lead themselves for themselves but at the same time go hand in hand with the older & much younger ones. There shouldn't be any sort of gap in between us all.

  • @127753Jb98
    @127753Jb98 6 лет назад +1517

    I know this might sound silly, but I would love to hear ideas from kids about issues that adults can't agree on because they are bound to their loyal ships within political parties. A lot of this would include older children 13 and above. When we are bound to a side by default, we close off conversations as adults. Kids though aren't bound to sides or to their own ideas. Kids are willing to change their minds. They might have solutions to issues we deal with everyday, but adults can't listen to one another.

    • @macxzcrevan6099
      @macxzcrevan6099 6 лет назад +62

      Feel the bern if she is she definitely has a higher iq than most adults I know

    • @gorillamane13
      @gorillamane13 6 лет назад +67

      The problem is the kids are extra biased because they just regurgitate their parents opinions

    • @127753Jb98
      @127753Jb98 6 лет назад +86

      I agree partially with that argument. I wouldn't say "extra" biased. There are instances where kids are extra biased, based on what a parent has openly expressed and drilled into them, but there are issues that never get talked about in a home that fresh, creative solutions can come from.

    • @Muuip
      @Muuip 6 лет назад +23

      I agree about the value of children's ideas on adults issues. Our creativity grows over generations, children pickup up where adults found themselves limited.

    • @meap1022
      @meap1022 6 лет назад +5

      I was gonna type that, but then i realized that you already typed it.

  • @fandomgodmother4903
    @fandomgodmother4903 6 лет назад +317

    when I was a kid I wanted to be an architect and I designed a pet store with a river running through it that led into the fish area. The fish area was a dome shape and has a clear roof so you could see the sky the walls were lined with tanks.

    • @fandomgodmother4903
      @fandomgodmother4903 6 лет назад +49

      I also made a school that had a farm in it and all the walls were rock climbing walls

    • @gryffith1378
      @gryffith1378 6 лет назад +23

      What job do you have bow

    • @fandomgodmother4903
      @fandomgodmother4903 6 лет назад +30

      rudy I am a photographer

    • @SpltPersonaltyOF
      @SpltPersonaltyOF 5 лет назад +14

      Pretty rad concept, you'd have to find a spacious area near a river to do that though lol.

    • @SuDoesThings
      @SuDoesThings 5 лет назад +20

      I'm still a kid (13 years old) and while I was reading your comment and imagined everything! You know how beautiful it actually sounded? I would say go ahead!! As long as you live you can do it😁 it's a really beautiful idea!!!!

  • @aticosmos5156
    @aticosmos5156 6 лет назад +260

    There's a joke that when teachers ask students what they want to be when they grow up, they're asking cause they're out of ideas and want to find something new...

    • @lindabcarpentersings
      @lindabcarpentersings 6 лет назад +2

      Ati Cosmos lol

    • @anayaj402
      @anayaj402 5 лет назад +6

      Well bad idea to ask kids they only know 5 professions. Unless becoming an astronaut or pop star works for you lol

    • @Camazotz-kz9wr
      @Camazotz-kz9wr 5 лет назад +7

      Anaya Jaffer I think you'd be surprised by some kids lol. I wanted to be an Egyptologist when I was in elementary and middle school. That's not a typical answer lol.

    • @Andyatl2002
      @Andyatl2002 4 года назад

      Anon Commenter, what inspired you to that?

  • @Yotanido
    @Yotanido 6 лет назад +612

    "In addition to treason plans"
    ...wait, what?
    Oh, trees and plants. Right.

    • @lindabcarpentersings
      @lindabcarpentersings 6 лет назад +3

      Yndostrui me though XD

    • @jexania
      @jexania 6 лет назад +18

      Its treason then.

    • @josephpayne113
      @josephpayne113 6 лет назад +12

      Yndostrui youral....youral...
      "What?execute order 66? OK then"

    • @woodywoodsfurd6296
      @woodywoodsfurd6296 5 лет назад +14

      You have disobeyed the dictator, brian. You shall now be thrown into the bouncy house of doom

    • @meowrchl97
      @meowrchl97 5 лет назад +3

      I heard the exact same thing haha

  • @lacyMindsetConsulting
    @lacyMindsetConsulting 6 лет назад +1975

    At first I didn't think I would enjoy the talk but it really made sense towards the end. Thank you. It gives you a different view point

    • @snowballeffect7812
      @snowballeffect7812 6 лет назад +6

      same

    • @kasmhamosh5596
      @kasmhamosh5596 6 лет назад

      think 😃

    • @ESSBrew
      @ESSBrew 6 лет назад +9

      Same, ended up being one of my favorite TEDx Talks so far.

    • @starfiring
      @starfiring 6 лет назад +11

      She's one of my relatives! I'm happy to know you enjoyed.

    • @jimmywall
      @jimmywall 6 лет назад +3

      She sounds horrible, sounds condescending and has a sense of superiority, the speech is not very natural, and the posture is horrible, legs too open in the stance, evenmore if she wears a skirt.
      The concept was nice on the other side.

  • @sandhyachristine7173
    @sandhyachristine7173 5 лет назад +116

    I'm 15 and I honestly think that a lot of teens will come up with excellent ideas not only in building parks and stuff but actually coming up with solutions to housing concerns due to population rise. All we want is a better city. Many of us are brutal when it comes to law making and enforcing. We aren't going to worry about whether it's gonna get the current govt. more voter's support. Many of us actually think about concerns involving everything like cost, space and environmental because we've been told since we started going to school that these are the problems faced. Most school also have students from wide range of economic backgrounds so there will be unbiased opinions about many living standards and we'll be more empathetic to other backgrounds

    • @timoseaotter4077
      @timoseaotter4077 4 года назад +2

      Sandy Christine true

    • @netaimonadal7927
      @netaimonadal7927 3 года назад +1

      Right now i m 15 and you much be 17
      I think i m between a age where i can understand both adults and kids .Its confusing

    • @kittycat3638
      @kittycat3638 2 года назад

      @@netaimonadal7927 same but mostly adults and it's kinda sad cuz I kinda remember how I used to think which was less boring.

    • @KOKAYI69
      @KOKAYI69 10 месяцев назад

      A city in a garden (beauty on the way & multi-use structures) made for people starting w/ the *least wealthy residence to walk, ride bikes, skates/boards and not around cars, garages, parking lots!
      We would reduce green house gases and live healthier lives! *Singapore 🇸🇬!

  • @iskahana2601
    @iskahana2601 6 лет назад +300

    It takes great sensibility to decipher the children’s abstract ideas and to synthesize those ideas into reasonable realizations... and i think she’s done it amazingly. This is a very nice talk

    • @jvw5064
      @jvw5064 6 лет назад +2

      sakinong Er, so all kids ideas are absolutely impossible to understand?

    • @shiningdawn8578
      @shiningdawn8578 6 лет назад +1

      Who said anything about "absolutely impossible to understand"?
      sakinong is most likely referring to the connection that adolescents wanted thrill-seeking features. They didn't need sky diving and rock walls, but other things that were safe, yet pushed their exploration.

    • @iskahana2601
      @iskahana2601 6 лет назад +1

      j vw i i understand that my opinion sounds like i’m generalizing the impossibility of understanding children’s ideas.. i’m sorry for the vagueness in my statement :)
      I was trying to say that.. discovering user needs with qualitative methods, while the users are children, is really challenging. They used elaborated methods at schools (was it a modified focus group discussion? Cmiiw), instead of boring 1-on-1 interviews for the children.
      And from the creative methods, came various incredible, amazing, mind-blowing answers.
      But did the researchers just recklessly execute the ideas? No, they squeeze those creative mind-fruits into pure juice of conclusions: the user needs.
      I’m sorry if my explanation might sounds complicated... i’m actually an awkward person hehe..

    • @xylophone897
      @xylophone897 6 лет назад

      sakinong inb4 people call you sexist

  • @SubversiveStyle
    @SubversiveStyle 6 лет назад +1480

    We should have designs for homeless people, no one deserves to be exposed to the elements and it seems housing and shelters aren’t solutions for all.

    • @Roxor128
      @Roxor128 6 лет назад +29

      Didn't Utah eliminate homelessness just by giving them one-bedroom flats?

    • @sophiejones7727
      @sophiejones7727 6 лет назад +66

      If I recall correctly, they ran into the problem of maintaining the structures. Although homelessness is reduced it was never eliminated and it has resurged. What that initiative did do, which I think we could all learn from is it thought about housing in a different way. Rather than seeing a house as an investment which happens to come in a useful shape: it saw the house primarily for how it would be useful to it's occupant. Moving towards a model of housing that is detached from banking would probably be healthy for everyone. My parents recently bought a house, and the extent to which future market value played a role in their decision was a little scary to me. I felt like I had to keep reminding them that we were going to live in the house so it's features had to work for *us*. All's well that ends well and we bought a great house, but the process was not at all what I thought it would be.

    • @charleyedwards2121
      @charleyedwards2121 6 лет назад

      SubversiveStyle sounds like she is

    • @dtho6231
      @dtho6231 6 лет назад +25

      The problem was that the homeless tend to be junkies and criminals. They would build housing and said housing would cause a dramatic spike in crime, everyone who could afford it would move out, property values crashed, and the homeless housing units would turn into a wasteland for the drug addicted,poor, and criminals.

    • @-lollipopsunder-7044
      @-lollipopsunder-7044 6 лет назад +9

      Yeah, lets design for failure, thats sounds like a genius idea.

  • @CestLimee
    @CestLimee 6 лет назад +24

    When I was in primary school the city council had us design a park, just like her project. We went all out and had so many ideas. However, they didn't listen at all and all they ended up doing was add a sandpit, a swing and a see-saw. It was a very underwhelming experience. Good to see the adults actually learned from the project in Boulder!

  • @gr6251
    @gr6251 6 лет назад +387

    Wow! It indeed is such a simple yet a unique and a fun idea! Making us realise that we are lacking the most important thing in our lives as adults-only creativity.

  • @teuton8363
    @teuton8363 6 лет назад +79

    As a kid I spent whole afternoons with friends in the forest, no one knew where we were and we were not reachable on mobile phones. Today kids are not allowed to walk four blocks to go to a park? what the heck has happened?

    • @lindabcarpentersings
      @lindabcarpentersings 6 лет назад +13

      blaberoo guns. Overprotection. New knowledge.
      That being said, I never went to the park since there wasn't any park near me unless you wanted to walk 45 minuets passing all those college houses being scared of any drunks that happen to see you. I live in a very weird neighborhood.

    • @fandomgodmother4903
      @fandomgodmother4903 6 лет назад +2

      blaberoo not to brag but when I was five I was able to go ONE WHOLE BLOCK away from home by myself (I'm now 14)

    • @audreywhalen5141
      @audreywhalen5141 6 лет назад +4

      fandom godmother HA! That’s nothing! I could go all the way to the park! It was a whole half block away! Oh wait... (I’m turning 14 in less than a week)

    • @sacredchild
      @sacredchild 5 лет назад +19

      A lot of it is parental fear.' If I let my child go to the park alone, someone will call social services on me and said child will be taken from me. Or said child will be stolen. Or said child could die there and I wouldn't be there to save them.' It all comes back to fear. Fear of being a bad or neglectful parent and fear of losing the child you love for any reason. My cousin's neighbor called the police on her because she was letting her six and ten year old play in the back yard while she was inside making dinner. Nothing came of it, but for the next six months she was terrified to let her kids play outside alone in case social services were called the next time.

    • @ckv954
      @ckv954 5 лет назад +10

      My parents were afraid of me being abducted. It might have been different for you as a guy which I assume you are. They think girls need to be more ‘protected’

  • @gideonjones8088
    @gideonjones8088 6 лет назад +148

    kind of sad that this seems so interesting and new to everybody. I thought this was common sense, but I guess that's what i get for still being a child at heart. I hope more people pick up on this.

  • @SteviiLove
    @SteviiLove 6 лет назад +55

    This is a very well thought out idea. Giving kids the opportunity to help create these public spaces can do so much to benefit the people living within them, not to mention the positive outlets that these kids can utilize can help steer them away from the negative ones. I know if my city would have been more like these, a lot of us wouldn't have turned to drugs, alcohol and other negative activities due to boredom and nowhere to express ourselves positively. I am all for this

    • @eternalreign2313
      @eternalreign2313 5 лет назад

      It's a slippery slope. If you start allowing kids to have these opinions and to make decisions the rest of us have to live by, adults will eventually find a way to take advantage of it. Kids are easy to manipulate and eventually they'll just become political pawns.

  • @The_oli4
    @The_oli4 5 лет назад +7

    This is so cool in the Netherlands we have a non obligated lesson you can choose instead of drawing or music lessons in highschool. In those lessons you go to random companies that explain their current projects/problems they have and then you go and work in small groups to make your own solutions for the problem. It's really nice because you learn how companies work and the companies get some input they would maybe never thought of or disregarded the idea in early stages of development.

  • @beaglesguy
    @beaglesguy 5 лет назад +4

    One of the best TEDx Talks I've viewed. Thank you. (60 yrs old here.)

  • @ursulanonya6590
    @ursulanonya6590 6 лет назад +130

    I write books for children and this is one of my favorite talks- EVER! Thank you for this.

  • @veronicachristopher9321
    @veronicachristopher9321 4 года назад +4

    Children are pure hearts before the world told them what to think instead of how to think. Their eyes don't see dollar signs or socioeconomic status; they see with wholeness. It inspires me. ❤

  • @TS_Mind_Swept
    @TS_Mind_Swept 6 лет назад +26

    I think this just goes to show you that people need to come down off of their high horses and think like a kid every once in a while, people think so much of themselves that they can’t look at anyone else as intelligent. It almost makes you think they’re afraid to be outsmarted by a child (and most of them aren’t any smarter).

  • @LemonsRage
    @LemonsRage 6 лет назад +110

    Jaiden Smith said it first "If newborns could talk they would be the most intelligent beeings on this planet"

    • @LoganMillett
      @LoganMillett 6 лет назад +9

      Lemons Rage They're smarter than us because they don't speak. It's only once we start talking that we muck everything up

    • @itsnotme8182
      @itsnotme8182 6 лет назад +4

      For me, a baby can understand universal language no matter what they are.

    • @animerlon
      @animerlon 6 лет назад +19

      Yeah right. Let's imagine what newborn babies might say by what they would focus on.
      who are you? (I can't see) I'm wet. I'm hungry. I'm cold. I'm uncomfortable. Something is wrong. GIVE ME ATTENTION.
      That's nice. This tastes good. I'm comfortable.
      Yup, great conversation.

    • @austinmoon6974
      @austinmoon6974 6 лет назад

      *beings

    • @jonahyogman6282
      @jonahyogman6282 5 лет назад +1

      I dont think so

  • @mhtinla
    @mhtinla 6 лет назад +329

    TRICYCLE LANES

  • @Jet7600
    @Jet7600 5 лет назад +2

    My dad is a townplanner and when I was in primary school he brought me pictures of all the different things they were thinking of including in the new playground at my school and asked me which ones I would like to see in the playground. Later when I was in highschool he was involved with building a new youth centre and they asked lots of teenagers what they would like to be in it, the one that I remember was someone asked for a pink fuzzy wall and they put it in!

  • @ChixenLil
    @ChixenLil 6 лет назад +62

    Finally kids ideas being taken into consideration. Been saying that for the longest time 😑

    • @eternalreign2313
      @eternalreign2313 5 лет назад +1

      Except if we start taking their ideas into consideration, adults will only find a way to take advantage of it and manipulate them. That's the real reason we don't allow kids at the grownup table. It's why the age of consent is 18. Because kids are easy to manipulate. In fact the age of consent should probably be 30 because even people in their 20's are easy to manipulate lol.

  • @Dan-si8eu
    @Dan-si8eu 6 лет назад +131

    The Asymmetry of that necklace makes me angry.

    • @noahsimon4422
      @noahsimon4422 5 лет назад +4

      Lol I was thinking the exact same thing

    • @azadalamiq
      @azadalamiq 5 лет назад +3

      its symmetrical, it just moved

    • @AscheDjidoi
      @AscheDjidoi 5 лет назад +1

      Relax

    • @trangium
      @trangium 4 года назад +2

      Now I can't unsee it.

  • @rina123456
    @rina123456 5 лет назад +3

    When I was in grade three or four, my community decided to built a large wooden playground. The contractors in charge, came to our little elementary school, took each class one at a time, and asked each kid to draw a picture of what they would like the playground to look like. Then they took all these ideas, put them together, and a year later the playground was built. This was fifteen years ago, and the wooden playground is still a very popular spot for hundreds of miles around.

  • @thefirm4606
    @thefirm4606 Год назад +1

    Children are far more astute than they are given credit for. They don’t have limitations on their dreams, goals and ambitions. When asked to think of others, they will do, and selflessly. In an age where a screen is never far away from theses beautiful minds, a place where they can be and connect with the world around them is a right, not a want.
    This is wonderful ❤

  • @Renaeissance
    @Renaeissance 6 лет назад +18

    "Climbing towers"
    We call them spider webs, at least that's what my local one is called.

  • @priyankajoisher9300
    @priyankajoisher9300 6 лет назад +9

    I'm a student of architecture and this talk made my day ❤️

  • @ryanclemons1
    @ryanclemons1 6 лет назад +61

    Next we let EA design our city issue is you need to pay for a ticket to get inside and each time you pay you only have a 1/100 chance of getting the ticket.

    • @kalandarkclaw8892
      @kalandarkclaw8892 6 лет назад +1

      Ryan Clemons1 the microtransaction clause in lootbox city.

    • @Cabalex
      @Cabalex 5 лет назад +5

      PARK LOOT BOXES - YOU MIGHT GET A SLIDE OR A ZIP LINE

  • @butterflymagicwithhottea9291
    @butterflymagicwithhottea9291 6 лет назад +1

    As a Registered Early Childhood Educator, I am absolutely thrilled about this initiative.

  • @xavier2.044
    @xavier2.044 5 лет назад +5

    I am a child... this talk was true for all children imagine a park 40 miles/km away how could you go there by yourself?
    Children need freedom someday.
    Everybody need freedom but the weight of *stress* is bad.
    We need to release that weight as we go on in life that weight might get heavier but work hark and nothing will block your way.

  • @annabourbon
    @annabourbon 4 года назад +3

    When I was a kid I wanted to have a ceiling made of glass to watch the stars every night. And I wanted a garden with a pond, and apple trees. lolol I still want that though...

  • @za012345678998765432
    @za012345678998765432 6 лет назад +12

    you should all check jacque fresco's city design, although he designed it as a grownup, it answers all of what she's talking about, and he even got the Novus award from the UN for it!

    • @purplegill10
      @purplegill10 4 года назад

      I second this, dude is an inspiration

  • @grayventras1235
    @grayventras1235 5 лет назад +1

    This made me so immensely happy. I've lived in boulder county since I was in kindergarten and can remember our elementary school taking time to hear what we wanted when designing a new playground, and I even got to help with my high schools redesigning. Having the people who spend time in these environments contribute to what they look like and how they function is just so important and I'm so grateful to live in a place where it is being put into practice

  • @millariinal604
    @millariinal604 5 лет назад +2

    Imagine a school yard with asphalt and swings or a school yard with natural forest. I studied at two different elementary schools as a kid. At my first school, the school yard was basically a small forest with a few old bunkers and trenches (there are a lot of trenches in the capital area of Finland). The trees had big roots coming over the ground so we sometimes played with little toys in the roots imagining the roots being a house with lot of rooms. Sometimes, we made huts or played hide and seek.
    At my second elementary school, the yard was an asphalt field with two swings (which were always occupied as there were few hundred kids at the school) and a few other play equipment. At that school we didn't have much to do during the breaks. I missed the old school yard so much! I wondered why did they waste the money to build those artificial play equipment when the plain forest was the best play ground a kid can ever have.

  • @ChillTheFuckOutMeditations
    @ChillTheFuckOutMeditations 6 лет назад +13

    How awesome!! Love Boulder.

  • @clintonraubenheimer5879
    @clintonraubenheimer5879 6 лет назад +33

    What she is talking about sounds a lot like democracy... What a wonderful concept... If only democracy was real.

  • @cutsomeone
    @cutsomeone 4 года назад

    I grew up in the suburbs of Virginia 20 minutes outside of DC. It was beautiful, relatively safe, schools offered a great education...umm I'm sure whatever else people look for in a "family friendly" environment. I left as soon as I graduated.
    We were miserable, bored, and uncultured. Most of my classmates are still home because there were no experiences growing up that were INSPIRING enough to ignite a desire toward a specific direction that would give us a chance to shape our future.
    This mentality is a step in the right direction.

  • @alejandroaranda5254
    @alejandroaranda5254 2 года назад

    I re watch this every now and then, it's still shakes my heart with hope.

  • @midnightfoxx5491
    @midnightfoxx5491 6 лет назад +59

    Where’s the 3d model of the city they designed?

  • @asmilingvoid9093
    @asmilingvoid9093 4 года назад +4

    Yes! Climbing towers! They are the BEST things in the park. You’re up 2 stories with no harness and it’s safe and fun! When i reach the top I normally lean out with one hand, like 8 m ups, no fear! Glad to see they were mentioned. They were(and still are) my childhood

  • @sepiasmith5065
    @sepiasmith5065 6 лет назад +1

    "children design for living creature, not for cars, egos, or corporations." Absolutely love it.

  • @ShimmerWyn
    @ShimmerWyn 6 лет назад +1

    This was by far one of the best talks I've ever listened to. What an amazing and enlightening topic!

  • @RemingtonHillOfficial
    @RemingtonHillOfficial 6 лет назад +225

    great lesson, but delivery was a little robotic. enjoyed it overall and learned a lot of new perspective!

    • @QemeH
      @QemeH 6 лет назад +6

      I feel like her stance contributed to that impression a lot. Her voice is calm and nice and she isn't droning on that much... It looks like she suffers from a thing most untrained public speakers suffer from: whattodowithyourhandsitis ;) If she gives this talk a dozen of times, audience will love her in no time...

    • @kerbalprogram3405
      @kerbalprogram3405 5 лет назад +2

      QemeH the voice is a little bit robotic too she needs to work on her timing as well

    • @__-fm5qv
      @__-fm5qv 5 лет назад +2

      I agree her voice and cadence is too clear to me. I know that wanting to be understood is important, but speaking so precisely to do so just sounds almost condescending in a way, and unnatural at best.

    • @dinkledankle
      @dinkledankle 5 лет назад +1

      What a trivial thing to be intolerant of. Sounds like a personal problem to me.

    • @philb912
      @philb912 5 лет назад +4

      @@dinkledankle I saw this more as a constructive criticism than a problem of tolerance, don't you think ?

  • @Mr6Sinner
    @Mr6Sinner 6 лет назад +630

    Her outfit kinda reminds me of Commander Purple Hair from TLJ..

    • @two-face1041
      @two-face1041 6 лет назад +6

      Uriah Siner it does kinda look like Holdo dress

    • @MrChopstsicks
      @MrChopstsicks 6 лет назад +3

      Heyyy it does.

    • @mariovelez578
      @mariovelez578 6 лет назад +4

      Admiral Holdo lol yes it does!

    • @rockyfalldownstairs
      @rockyfalldownstairs 6 лет назад +35

      You mean Vice Admiral Gender Studies?

    • @Holobrine
      @Holobrine 6 лет назад +6

      rockyfalldownstairs I take it you subscribed to Sargon of Akkad?

  • @byrongsmith
    @byrongsmith 6 лет назад +1

    I love this so much. It brought tears to my eyes.
    "The city friendly to children, is the city friendly to all." Yes!

  • @NicoSchurr
    @NicoSchurr 5 лет назад

    I am a 12th grader from Germany and when parts of the park next to our school were to be redesigned, the planners actually turned to us and asked us to think of things we wanted to be implemented and build models of them. At the time I was I think in 9th grade. Together with a few friends, I wanted to design a climbing park, taking advantage of the already existing trees. While they didn't use the trees for that, they took inspiration from us and built a climbing structure that even follows the color palette and some of the design queues from our model. To see that our ideas are valued and that we can help reshape things for the better was a great experience that I hope many more children will encounter.

  • @PsoriasisChannel
    @PsoriasisChannel 6 лет назад +4

    Great city 🌃 design thoughts. Disabilities friendly too!

  • @jadapisanilee1976
    @jadapisanilee1976 4 года назад +3

    "Children are a kind of indicator species."

  • @kittyjones8811
    @kittyjones8811 6 лет назад +1

    Zoe is such an inspiration! I admire her bravery and compassion for animals so much.

  • @deborahbeat1052
    @deborahbeat1052 6 лет назад +1

    Yes! This video had some wonderful points. I hope many see it... share!

  • @athena6005
    @athena6005 6 лет назад +8

    Why aren’t all cities made like this? I mean you don’t even have to pay the children!

  • @bobsquirrelking
    @bobsquirrelking 6 лет назад +3

    "One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation."

  • @amanekabbaj
    @amanekabbaj 5 лет назад +1

    This is amazing and made me emotional. I was really excited to listen/watch this.

  • @jacobh9487
    @jacobh9487 5 лет назад

    Turned out to be a better TED talk than I thought. It was touch and go for a while in the beginning. Was slow to take off, but off it sure went. Solid TED talk, inspiring. We have a lot to learn from children and a lot to remember back when we were kids.

  • @The_NJG
    @The_NJG 6 лет назад +111

    This is a great idea for older kids like teens.

    • @lacyMindsetConsulting
      @lacyMindsetConsulting 6 лет назад +1

      NJG i agree

    • @twistedsinging2952
      @twistedsinging2952 6 лет назад +10

      ..A shame. Missing the point shouldn't have been that easy to do. It isn't like they hid the point under a rock; the point isn't Patrick, the point is spread throughout in the most clear way she could think of; the point is Spongebob.
      So, being that I've said it, how on Earth did you manage to overlook Spongebob and his repetitive ability to return to speak again no matter how many times you ignore or brush him off; how on Earth did you manage to miss a point repeated so many times that even if you had only heard it once it would be weird? Did you just comment *before* watching the video? Or perhaps you commented after lying to yourself to convince yourself that you watched it? Well, either way it's a lot better than if you genuinely watched it and genuinely missed the point. I highly doubt that you really watched it and still missed the point.
      ...So, uh, teenagers are usually the worst demographic to ask. It's not by mistake that they got brushed over through most of this. This would have been different some many years ago but at this point the average teenager is a lot less capable of giving an opinion on a park than back then. Back then the parks would actually see teenagers show up from time to time- if the parks existed-, but now that kind of thing's a rarity. You want your opinion to matter; I get that and I cannot blame you for wanting that, alright? I also used to want that. But you're being too encompassing. It wouldn't be a "great idea for *older kids like teens*"- it would be a "great idea for *you, from your perspective*".
      ...Why do I care?: Yeah.. I also don't know. I guess I'm just fond of writing.. Well, if you've made it to this part of my message then all I can say is "Well done.", because really; you deserve it. :/ This message is so excessive.. It's a response to a mere 10 words..

    • @lacyMindsetConsulting
      @lacyMindsetConsulting 6 лет назад +1

      Uknownymous End, thank you for your reply.

    • @aryansingh2199
      @aryansingh2199 6 лет назад +16

      Uknownymous End you said teenagers don't go to parks anymore. This is why they need a say- if they don't go to parks, what do they want in those parks, and what do they want instead of parks ? Young kids are represented but teenagers aren't. *That's* why teenagers don't go to parks.

    • @abbeylussier9756
      @abbeylussier9756 6 лет назад +10

      Uknownymous End I’m thirteen, and although I know that’s kind of on the cusp of teenage-hood, I would have to disagree completely with your comment. I personally think that teenager care more than you think. The reason I don’t go to my local park is because what they have to offer for teenagers is a skating park... something that lost popularity way too long ago. If my park were to have tables to do your homework or pathways to walk around I would seriously enjoy my park. Tbh I still do love playing on the playground every once in a while, I guess the kid in me hasn’t fully diminished yet but anyways, just thought I’d comment ;)

  • @azteciandrumset7140
    @azteciandrumset7140 6 лет назад +92

    Put this to x1.5 Speed if you have few spare time. :)

    • @afriendofafriend5766
      @afriendofafriend5766 6 лет назад +16

      BTW, a better way of phrasing the sentence would be: Put this to x1.5 speed if you don't have much spare time.

    • @Gregarious3
      @Gregarious3 6 лет назад +2

      Thanks, 1.25 is most likely how she talks with her friends.

    • @alyrojas623
      @alyrojas623 6 лет назад +1

      thx 😊

    • @Hsirbrus
      @Hsirbrus 5 лет назад

      Love you man

  • @reganred1270
    @reganred1270 5 лет назад +1

    Woah! It’s actually a topic my friends and I discussed and came up with when we were p4-p6 basically your 4-6th grade because we felt that children like us were more creative innovative and useful in the work society because it’s more fun and interesting that way. I’m very happy to see that someplace in the world they actually thought of doing such a thing.

  • @wendymcmillan3038
    @wendymcmillan3038 4 года назад

    This is inspired and inspiring! Loved every word, every idea, and especially the overall initiative. Brilliant!

  • @zacharymiller613
    @zacharymiller613 6 лет назад +39

    Just warning you that this comment section is really hostile. Turn back while you still can!

    • @paolav2887
      @paolav2887 6 лет назад +1

      TheSyfyGamer Nnnaaahh, I can take it!

    • @lindabcarpentersings
      @lindabcarpentersings 6 лет назад +3

      TheSyfyGamer PSSHAWW. What could go wrong?
      Besides, it's fun to fuel the flame to make fun of the idiots and ageists.

    • @audreywhalen5141
      @audreywhalen5141 6 лет назад +1

      Aria the kinda- but not really- Weeb what’s an ageists? Did you misspell something or is it a word I’ve never heard of?

    • @lindabcarpentersings
      @lindabcarpentersings 6 лет назад +4

      its like rasism but instead of with race, its with age
      also i probably misspelled it. ive only ever heard the word, so...

    • @Natalie-qs2ot
      @Natalie-qs2ot 6 лет назад

      L.B. Carpenter its spelled racism, just wanted to help

  • @nathangamble125
    @nathangamble125 6 лет назад +3

    I don't feel like I was ever like these kids.
    My designs were always boring and practical... Though my dreams were just as crazy as anything else... And still are.

  • @monikanowotny1766
    @monikanowotny1766 6 лет назад

    I loved Boulder before, now I love it even more! What a wonderful project!

  • @kimberlyabbott2767
    @kimberlyabbott2767 5 лет назад +1

    Faith in humanity restored. Thank you.

  • @Drecon84
    @Drecon84 6 лет назад +6

    I had the Simcity 2000 music in my head throughout the whole thing.

  • @michaelrees350
    @michaelrees350 6 лет назад +5

    As a small person intersted in city design, YEET REET FLYING MACHEET

  • @tamarapereira8049
    @tamarapereira8049 6 лет назад

    I'm so in love with this idea! I really want do it, I don't know how but I'm very very very interesting about all the possibilities to change the cities and to have a healthy life. I hope the world will value this. You guys, don't stop! Great work!!

  • @dilirah
    @dilirah 5 лет назад

    Great talk. My son's middle school spent this past year involving the student body in the design and functionality of the upcoming planned school remodel.

  • @haroldgjr
    @haroldgjr 6 лет назад +7

    Phenomenal

  • @KafshakTashtak
    @KafshakTashtak 6 лет назад +4

    I would definitely build a park out of candies, and bridges with water canons.

    • @goblin456
      @goblin456 5 лет назад

      I think we need water cannons everywhere to be honest.

  • @nailarahman2420
    @nailarahman2420 5 лет назад

    Didn't think anyone else understood this.
    I was wrong and I am very happy to be wrong.
    Thanks for realising and hearing what we have been trying to say

  • @manon8083
    @manon8083 5 лет назад +1

    i've climbed the tower at 8:28 . it's great. good sense of risk, but even if you lost your grip (unlikely) the tangle of ropes would stop u before u hit the ground

  • @ambercimburek6872
    @ambercimburek6872 6 лет назад +12

    This is the most lovely idea.

  • @LukeCrusher1
    @LukeCrusher1 6 лет назад +9

    Met a small group of people to ask the opinions of a group of small people...

  • @petervenkman69
    @petervenkman69 5 лет назад

    My local park has a community hut in it that had originally been used for military purposes during WW2. Needless to say this "temporary" building became past its sell by date for a number of reasons.
    So the community group decided to consult on a replacement building, and a large part of that consultation was about asking young people what they wanted from the new hut.
    On a Saturday they basically had a family day in the park to encourage as wide as possible participation as possible, with different age groups given projects to design what they want.
    Needless to say some of the stuff sounded quite bizarre, or unrealistic, however many aspects of what was being suggested was incorporated, particularly the desire for the building to be eco friendly, and to be as multi-use as possible, and even some of the grander ideas were scaled down and implemented in a more realistic way.
    What appeared on the surface to be paying lip service (in a fun way) to the younger members of the community actually did serve to push for a design of building that met the needs and desires of the community as a whole including the young people.
    So in my experience this sort of exercise is very positive.

  • @thecatspjs6714
    @thecatspjs6714 6 лет назад +15

    This is such an amazing idea.

  • @aryansingh2199
    @aryansingh2199 6 лет назад +35

    *1.25 speed k thx*

  • @CuriousExplorer
    @CuriousExplorer 6 лет назад +3

    Nice

  • @elisec.5080
    @elisec.5080 5 лет назад

    best talk I've seen so far. Tells the truth of how our life would be if this happened! We should get to the design NOW!

  • @ValthatBish
    @ValthatBish 6 лет назад

    as a mother of four this made me so happy i cried i enjoy that people are going to realize that these little humans are so awesome

  • @TheShastamonster
    @TheShastamonster 6 лет назад +12

    Landscape architects who design public space and have been engaging children in design like this for many years... this is a good idea, but not new or unusual as she likes to suggest.

    • @beth8775
      @beth8775 6 лет назад +9

      Shasta McCoy It hasn't been happening this extensively, and it hasn't been happening everywhere. She's trying to boost the awareness and popularity of this (very positive) practice. That's the whole point of these talks. Stop and think about this thing that you haven't thought about before.

  • @afriteststudios6961
    @afriteststudios6961 6 лет назад +8

    Profound!

  • @lilyhat
    @lilyhat 6 лет назад

    Recently my city has contacted schools asking about what we would like. I mentioned that we should get better computers for the library because the other ones were too slow. A few months later we have better computers. I also suggested a bus that goes directly to the library from the school, but that didn’t happen. Although, now we have another free bus route. I have yet to see where it goes but that’s pretty neat! I’m not sure if my city has gone to younger children to talk about issues like this though. I sure hope they do, because this is a fantastic idea!

  • @snowbird1381
    @snowbird1381 5 лет назад

    definitely hope this can be more of a thing in the future, cause these ideas are really good. I especially liked the treehouse idea.

  • @hedayaal3395
    @hedayaal3395 6 лет назад +14

    Where 's Ted stage? In which city?

    • @VasilikiTzalachanihappy
      @VasilikiTzalachanihappy 6 лет назад +6

      Hidaya h There are stages all over the world. It's not just one stage

    • @hedayaal3395
      @hedayaal3395 6 лет назад +7

      Vasiliki Tzalachani thanks for your answer

    • @VasilikiTzalachanihappy
      @VasilikiTzalachanihappy 6 лет назад +4

      Hidaya h You're welcome!

    • @alden5931
      @alden5931 6 лет назад +3

      This particular one is in Denver, Colorado

    • @SumD-EGuy
      @SumD-EGuy 6 лет назад +2

      Hidaya h I’m sure they have one in a city near you. Search “TedX n” n=your city or city near you.

  • @WormholeJim
    @WormholeJim 6 лет назад +6

    Having kids design cities conforms with the agenda summed up in "Everyone is entitled to at least one surrealistic experience each day." I say go for it!

  • @valerietan8176
    @valerietan8176 5 лет назад +4

    i, scared bc i dunt feel like a kid when i am, im scared bc i know my mind is closing up to creativity and more to logic and stuff when im only 14. The problem is when teachers ask us to be creative, they are literally forcing us to be creative. They said be creative, draw design smth creative. And me and my friends just go,, what again? what is creativity? It something you go on on yr own to think, draw design. Kids dunt need 50 mins to sit there and think of a design to hand up to the teachers. Kids need to be able to go off on THEIR OWN, or FRIENDS, and not be dragged around and forced to explore things they already know. We dunt need walks in Scinece centre with the teacher telling us you got 5 minutes, take the pictures, observe and write it down. We dunt want to be restricted in an area where we are told to observe a certain thing. We want to stop when we can, admire the small un noticable things that adults overlook or say its not relevant.
    i just want to say im 14 and i can say that forcing, or hurrying us, expecting us to be creative just bc of our age isnt going to help us to be creative.

    • @purplegill10
      @purplegill10 4 года назад

      Hey, how you doing? Anything change in the last year?

  • @mink2567
    @mink2567 6 лет назад +1

    This was really cool. Seeing all of the cool ideas being implemented

  • @memosmith1353
    @memosmith1353 6 лет назад +12

    "For the Kingdom of Heaven is for such as these"

  • @Bebo18
    @Bebo18 6 лет назад +7

    She rides or use to ride horses.

  • @pig_porkchop_7040
    @pig_porkchop_7040 5 лет назад +1

    I literally cried during this because not once in this did she mention how the schools are taking kid's creative away from them.

  • @bip901
    @bip901 5 лет назад

    For the cost of 1 less building in a neighborhood, you can afford enough trees, benches and special bicycle lanes to fill the area.
    It's totally worth it, and you can also use the space left by the building to build a statue or something.

  • @dog9302
    @dog9302 6 лет назад +11

    "Cars have more voice in public policy than this group of citisens"
    answer to that isnt children its any normal person who isnt rich.

  • @liampadolina4040
    @liampadolina4040 6 лет назад +5

    For the whole video I was staring and being annoyed by her asymmetrical necklace. OCD: Ruining Ted talks every day.

  • @saramirza6709
    @saramirza6709 6 лет назад

    One of the most smart/relevant Tedtalks that I really appreciated👍💯

  • @HEY-gn5lx
    @HEY-gn5lx 5 лет назад

    What an amazing speech. This really shows how we can create a bright future.