The 15-Minute City

Well hello again city people! After doing some research I came across the interesting idea of the 15-minute city.

What is the 15-Minute City?

The idea behind the 15-minute city is that we all need access to these “central places” (Pozoukidou & Chatziyiannaki, 2021).

These main places have been ever changing with the improvement and innovation of society. Currently this includes things like; school, shopping centers, doctors offices, as well as leisurely settings.

The goal of this city structure is to build neighborhoods surrounded by the necessary establishments, within a 15 minute radius.

What are the benefits?

Aside from the shortened commute time (I know none of us will miss that rush hour traffic), there are so many benefits to this layout. With everything close by, many people could start walking or cycling to where they need to go. This would not only help our environment, but it would also increase the health of our neighbors.

Along with the health benefits, it would also help to improve the social aspect of our communities. More people would be comfortable walking around the neighborhood and want to get out of the bubble of their house. This would allow us all to build new relationships with the people that we are around everyday, but may not even know.

Business Benefits

I personally love local business. They provide such a warm atmosphere, that allows people to feel at home away from home.They also provide us with so many unique and quality products that reflect the heart of our community.

There are many publicly owned abandoned buildings and spaces that are currently being under utilized. We could use these spaces to help our community grow and allow more local businesses to flourish.

How is this going to work?

As Pozoukidou & Chatziyiannaki write, “Today more than ever, a smart city must be a safe city, ensuring constant analysis of vulnerability and adequacy also in terms of accessibility of services and / or central places” (Pozoukidou & Chatziyiannaki, 2021).

The quote above is basically saying that to make this theory work, there will need to be consistent monitoring and updates.

One of the main goals behind this plan is to increase walkability. As the authors put it, “the promotion of walkability and micro-mobility is necessary in European cities to facilitate the transition towards a sustainable future and better air quality, in line with the ASI approach, “Avoid”, “Shift” and “Improve”(Pozoukidou & Chatziyiannaki, 2021).

The idea behind this is to decrease the use of cars and buses, while encouraging the use of other means like walking or cycling. The ultimate goal is to push society towards using improved methods of transportation that are energy efficient and beneficial to our environment.

Sources:

Pozoukidou, G.; Chatziyiannaki Z. (2021). A Methodological Approach on Disused Public Properties in the 15-Minute City Perspective. Sustainability, 13, 593–612.