Raising children in the city

 In many parts of the world, and increasingly in SA, young couples are not moving away from urban centres to the suburbs once they have children - and their decision is not always about affordability. 

In fact, they will often have the means to buy a bigger home to accommodate a growing family, but choose to buy a bigger apartment rather than a house in the suburbs or on an estate, because they are prioritising quality time with their children over long commutes between work and home.

In many new or regenerated urban environments, there is also the attraction of living just a short distance away from schools, shops, and excellent cultural, social and medical facilities, and being able to save for memorable holidays "in the country" or even abroad. 

Naturally, not everyone thinks that this paradigm shift is the best news for children, but those in favour of raising children in the city believe that there are many other potential benefits too, including:

• More tolerance. Children who experience diversity every day, in their school, on their street and in their own apartment building are likely to be better socialised and have more tolerance and respect for other people of different ages, cultures and backgrounds even as adults.
• Living closer to friends. Instead of having to commute to play dates, city children often find friends in the same apartment block - and an increasing number of buildings now have secure playgrounds, pools and garden spaces where they can play outside just as much as suburban children do.
• Closer neighbours. Living in an apartment building makes it easier to get to know your neighbours, and find people you trust to babysit small children when necessary or to raise the alarm and assist older children in an emergency.
• More opportunities to learn. In an urban environment, there are more likely to be theatres, museums, art galleries and music venues close to home, and more opportunities for children to explore and enjoy different activities with parents who don't have to spend time commuting each day.
• Less financial stress. Living in the city usually means big savings on home maintenance, security and transport, and that takes the pressure off household budgets. It frees parents to spend more time with their children, pay for extramurals they would not otherwise have been able to afford, and save more to cover tertiary education costs.