Survey Also Cites Need for Cleaner Streets : Children Want More Playgrounds, Trees Downtown

San Diego’s children fear for their safety and want a city with more parks, trees and playgrounds, according to a survey released Monday by a nonprofit child advocacy group.

KidsPlace, which is dedicated to raising the community’s awareness of youngsters’ needs, also found a high level of concern about homeless people downtown and a desire for cleaner streets among the nearly 10,000 children, ages 7 to 18, who completed its survey.

The priority list was compiled from the schoolchildren’s answers to the request that they “describe the kind of neighborhood that you would build for kids to live in if they lived downtown.” The youngsters also answered 22 other questions on child care, transportation, living arrangements, community planning and leisure activities.

“The clearest directive KidsPlace has gotten from our young people in the 1989 survey is that we need to continue and expand this process of community involvement in the consideration of development issues,” the survey report states. The questionnaire was the second administered by the organization.

‘Mayor for a Day’

Sabina Sood, an 11-year-old Mira Mesa girl whose essay was judged the best response to the question, won the opportunity to serve as “mayor for a day” Monday. She met with top city officials, presented an award to author Theodor Geisel--also known as Dr. Seuss--and presided over a meeting of the City Council.

In a news conference in Mayor Maureen O’Connor’s office, Sabina echoed the survey results. “Most kids are inside watching TV and there aren’t many parks,” she said. “So I would say: ‘Build more parks and activity centers.’ ”

The council spent its afternoon hearing proposals from high school students on possible solutions to problems facing their neighborhoods and the city. The day comes in the middle of KidsWeek, a festival of 200 events scheduled by 50 organizations from April 22-30.

O’Connor, who has declared 1989 “The Year of the Child,” is devising a series of recreational and educational programs for children.