Do you think that your local area is a good place for young people to grow up? The effects of traffic and car parking on young people’s views

The damaging effects on well-being of the increasing number of motor vehicles on the roads, accidents and emissions aside, are often overlooked. Among 11–16 year olds in Wales, those who reported living with busy traffic and car parking were found to be less likely to have positive perceptions of the safety, friendliness, appearance, play facilities and helpfulness of the people in their local area. This was independent of the effect of socio-economic circumstance. Results are discussed in terms of the potential negative effect on sense of community identity, health and well-being, and the need for good environmental design and development of more pedestrian-friendly living areas. r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.