I have never been to Philadelphia, so I have to wonder, is it the case that people are moving out of city into the suburbs to raise kids strictly because of the

I have never been to Philadelphia, so I have to wonder, is it the case that people are moving out of city into the suburbs to raise kids strictly because of the school system, or is it simply that Philadelphia isn't really all that safe and nice for the kids. I grew up in Kiev, and with all of it's flaws, I never felt unsafe playing in the streets, and my parents (extremely over protective) never felt uncomfortable sending me out to play on the streets for hours at a time completely unsupervised, even as early as age 7. We lived in what would be considered the second ring of Kiev. Not the very center, but just outside the center. I would compare it to midtown areas like Lake View in Chicago. Having lived in a few places around US, I would only be comfortable sending out my kids (future) out to play like that in areas outside the city. Well, for one, having lived in places like Chicago, there really isn't that many places in the city to really send your kids to play in the first place. There are parks, but they are spread out enough where you have to walk for blocks to get to them, unless you are lucky enough to live next to one. Again, never been to Philadelphia, so I am picturing it to be similar to Chicago. And if that's the case, perhaps it makes a bit of sense to move out when you are ready to raise your kids. Is it so wrong to start out in the city, have your fun, and move out to the suburbs in your middle years. Of course, I do agree that the problem is the School systems being paid for by the property taxes instead of by the state. The state should collect property taxes uniformly and then combine it with other taxes and distribute it to schools based on child population in each school district. I am also not a really huge fan of the Suburbs in general to be honest. I like the idea of small towns rather then suburbs. The difference is, a small town would, and should, have it's own economic engine, local services, and everything else to cater to your life. That way you can actually live and work in the same place, and raise your kids. The problem is consolidation of industry. So many companies, especially tech companies, concentrate around one location, forcing high density living to be the ONLY answer. What about medium density living? What about spreading the employment centers a little more evenly, allowing for lower density, but without the need necessarily to always drive to work, and if you have to drive for some (medical perhaps) reasons, it could be 5 min commute at most. That would be the type of society I would strive to build, but I am not in in the business of building societies, and I am guessing plenty of people would disagree with me.