Trend Watch, September 2017

Why Are Little Kids in Japan So Independent?

Parents in Japan regularly send their kids out into the world at a very young age, even six or seven years old, CityLab reports.

By giving them this freedom, Japanese parents place significant trust in their kids, and in the whole community.

One stepmother said she wouldn’t let a child ride the subway alone in London or New York – just in Tokyo, where any member of the community can be asked for help thanks to a greater sense of social responsibility in shared spaces.

A popular television show, My First Errand, follows kids as young as two or three as they buy groceries by themselves for the first time. The show has been running for more than 25 years.

Small-scaled urban spaces and a culture of walking and transit use also foster safety. Read more.

Photo: Tokyoform, Flickr.

Google Maps gets serious about accessibility:

Google is making its Maps feature more useful for a group that often gets overlooked in the world of urban innovation – people with mobility challenges, writes CityLab.

The company will crowdsource data from its 30 million Local Guides worldwide, who contribute tips and photos about neighbourhood establishments in exchange for points and small prizes like extra digital storage space.

Guides will answer five simple questions when they submit a review for a location relating to accessibility, such as whether a building has accessible entrances or bathrooms.

The initiative comes on the heels of a viral Change.org petition, started by 19-year-old Londoner Belinda Bradley, whose mother switches between crutches and a wheelchair to get around the city.

“We want disabled users to have the exact same service, mapping of routes and availability as any of user,” says Bradley.

Photo by Lisanto 李奕良 on Unsplash.

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