Vacant lots were important. Plus, our mothers were around during the day, and they knew everyone on the block, so they weren't scared for us. There's common sense behind Wilcox's nostalgia for her old stamping grounds. That doesn't generate tax revenue. Even public sandboxes are vanishing.
Parental fear is also a factor.
Fear of molesters, bacteria, zooming suvs. Neighbors who own guns. Neighbors who let their kids eat refined sugar. The list is as lengthy as last Sunday's newspaper, and it grows longer with every new edition. Gone are the days when children make any of their own plans.