15-Minute City: A Paradigm Shift in Urban Planning and Mobility
By Alina M. Manaig
Have you heard of the 15-Minute City? It is urban planning’s new community, which basically tries to give residents everything they need within a few minutes from their front doors. This was the main topic of Mr. Tim Orbos, former general manager of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) during People Management Association of the Philippines’ (PMAP) Industrial Summit last November 11, 2020. Listening to his presentation made me look forward to our post-COVID way of life.
In pre-COVID days, traveling to our offices in the morning takes us about 30 to 45 minutes and, for some unlucky commuters, an hour to an hour and half. Traveling home is another story. Thus, the 15-minute city could be the best solution for us once we all start returning to work in our offices under the new normal. This is really not something new as some countries are already using this model.
This 15-Minute City concept was developed to address the community’s needs within 15 minutes of homes on foot, on a bike, or on public transit. As workplaces, stores, places of worship, hospitals, schools, and shopping centers are brought into closer proximity, street spaces previously dedicated to cars are freed up, eliminating pollution, making way for gardens, bike lanes, and parks. And should there be another pandemic or disaster, it will be easier to contain it.
The 15-Minute City mobility should be the mindset of the future. The foundations are already there, it is more efficient, sustainable, and can improve quality of life as an individual, as a community, and as a society. Now we have the possibility to stay closer to home and rediscover more useful time for ourselves and for our families.
Please visit and join the John Clements Talent Community.
About the author:
Alina has over 25 years of professional experience in executive management consultancy, talent search and recruitment operations, and sales and marketing. Alina is mother to three beautiful children and a wife to a wonderful husband. Aside from her love for coffee, she also loves shopping with her older sister. Alina spends her free time traveling, playing badminton, and watching movies.
