Where have all the children gone? That’s what San Francisco has been asking itself lately, says
Thomas Fuller. The city used to be alive with children and families, but they’ve become increasingly
rare since the technology boom. Today, San Francisco has the lowest percentage of children of any
big US city: just 13% of its residents are under the age of 18, compared with 21% in New York, and
an average of 23% across America. The city has roughly the same number of dogs as children, and in
many areas “pet grooming shops seem more common than schools”. For every 100 apart ments sold
in the city at market rate, the San Francisco school district expects to enrol just one extra pupil.
Walking through the growing number of neighbourhoods colonised by employees of Google, Twitter
and other tech firms, you’d think “life started at 22 and ended somewhere around 40”. San Francisco
is trying to make itself more family-friendly. It has invested millions in upgrading its parks, and last
month became the first US city to require employers to offer six weeks of fully paid leave for new
parents. But its prohibitive housing costs suggest it’s likely to remain a place for the young, single and rich. The question is, can such a “one-dimensional” place retain its allure and vibrancy?
