Playing outside

I agree. I love to see and hear children playing outside. My GS lives in a cul de sac with other families and those children play a lot outside especially in summer whent they have their bikes and bobby cars and dolls prams. It is also a safe place where the parents can see what is going on from their kitchen windows.
My other GCs are not so lucky, living near a town centre and usually have to make arrangements to play with school friends after school. We had a thread about working mothers and if the children are being minded by their childminders then they are not available for playing outside and some parents don't want their children to stray out of their own gardens in case they get kidnapped. My GCs are free to go on errands and go to their friends houses. My DDs believe in giving then a certain amount of freedom. Life is risky but you can't keep a child in cage.

I think Charlotta makes a very good point with regard to cul-de-sacs. We too live in one, and the children do seem to play outside a fair bit.

Its sad isn't it? I guess its a combination of all the things you mention. My daughters have never let the kids roam the streets but as we all live in London its understandable with the traffic and other dangers. They do have gardens and have always had friends round and visited friends houses but actual playing in the street no its not happened. They tend to go round someones house to play whether that be in the garden or on the computer . Its a shame they only get their 'freedom' to roam when they are well into their teens , the little ones having to be kept an eye on at home.