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October 5, 2010
Teen-repellent device removed in Washington, but teens still not welcome in many public places
Grist
by Sarah Goodyear
Like in Bruce Ratner's kinda, sorta publicly accessible taxpayer-subsidized private space.
The use of public places by teenagers remains controversial in many communities across the country.
The Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn, N.Y., is one recent example. A public plaza in front of the development's planned basketball arena might be off-limits to groups of four or more people under the age of 21 without an adult escort.
...Whether you do it with a Mosquito or with old-fashioned security guards, the routine dispersal of teenagers does raise issues about the nature of public space -- the vital essence of a dynamic and productive city. This is especially true when developers, like Ratner, tout the creation of plazas open to the public in exchange for often disruptive demolition and construction in a neighborhood, and then want to restrict access to those places.
...Instead of banning teenagers wholesale, what about enforcing laws against disorderly conduct, vandalism, panhandling, or whatever the actual offense may be -- no matter the age of the offenders?
NoLandGrab: Why not use the "traditional method" of teen repellence and pipe in a little classical music?
Posted by eric at October 5, 2010 9:30 PM