Have you ever seen a kid under 14 without parents in New York City—whose parents are in an economic class where they could afford to live in the suburbs if they wanted? I certainly haven’t.
It’s a class/culture issue rather than an urban planning issue. I grew up in a car-dependent suburb in the 1990s, and in the summer I used to spend all day roving around the neighborhood with the neighbor kids. Kids in the same suburb don’t do that today, because parents are more protective, kids are glued to screens, etc.
Yes, absolutely, in my neighborhood in Manhattan, all the time; it's honestly one of the most pleasant things about this place. They're usually in small groups, and almost never "glued to screens", for what it's worth. (I've seen the glued to screens thing, but usually when families are together.)
Anecdotally, the people I have in my life who are the most afraid of leaving their kids alone are suburbanites.
It’s a class/culture issue rather than an urban planning issue. I grew up in a car-dependent suburb in the 1990s, and in the summer I used to spend all day roving around the neighborhood with the neighbor kids. Kids in the same suburb don’t do that today, because parents are more protective, kids are glued to screens, etc.