From Planetizen: "How Developers Can Help Make Streets Safe for Children Again"

This article in Planetizen asks this: "A telling incident occurred this winter, when two children were picked up by police while walking alone, with their parents' permission, along a busy street in Montgomery County, Maryland. The episode and the public outcry that followed raise the question: Would the authorities have been summoned had the siblings, ages ten and six, been strolling by themselves on a heavily used biking and walking trail? [emphasis added]

Don't look at me. It's just a question. The article has more questions later, like these:

     By building for cars, not people, have we designed the "free range" out of our communities? Have we denied the younger generation opportunities for spontaneous fun and nature exploration, as well as self-sufficiency? Have we designed physical activity out of our kids’ daily routines? Have we limited opportunities for the younger generation to really get to know their communities and feel safe and secure roaming around them?

Later there are some recommended strategies to make communities more "free range". Here are a few:

• Design well-connected street networks at a human scale: provide pedestrian paths to cut through longer blocks and minimize pedestrian contact with surface parking lots and driveways.
• Provide pedestrian-oriented streetscapes: build sidewalks, include well-marked crosswalks and curb extensions to enhance the visibility of pedestrians, and install lighting for trails and public spaces.
• Encourage biking and walking with a system of paths and trails that provide neighborhood-to-neighborhood connections while minimizing contact with automobiles.