I have 2 kids (2 and 5) and no car and I do all my shopping and kid wrangling on foot with buggy and occasional bus use. Of course, I live in a medium density inner suburb of Edinburgh - school is 10 minutes 2 year old walk away, 5 minutes when she's in the buggy, there are 5 supermarkets walking distance away and several more a direct bus from here. Also walking distance are a library, cinema, park, high school, city farm and a canal. This area was mostly built in late Victorian times.

I couldn't imagine my life if I lived in a modern new build car centred suburb but I suspect I would have been hospitalised by now.