Fremont has begun doing some of these trendy concepts that are mentioned in the article, but when I grew up none of these ideas had been implemented. I socialized with other kids and rode bike around the neighborhood. As a pre-teen, we socialized in the street and at each other's houses. As a teen I was not really restricted in where to go and there are plenty of neighborhood parks and libraries to hang out at.
None of the article's critiques of suburbia ring true to me with respect to Fremont. If you are seeking nightlife as an adult, you might feel it is a wasteland. But for children growing up I'm not seeing a problem. Part of that is that most of the city can be navigated without ever being on an arterial. Part of that is that most of the city was developed during an era where neighborhood parks could be mandated. Part of that is the city was master planned when it was small and they foresaw today's population.
It is true children spend less time outside than they used to. Part of that is fear; when my kids were young, I didn't trust that strangers wouldn't be a problem if they were outside the house. But right or wrong, that fear is worsened by the proposed changes to how suburbs are laid out, not improved.