Mastering mobility with the 15-minute city

Throughout history, urban designers and architects have theorised about the ideal structure of cities to meet the unique needs of residents. From Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City, which envisioned compact suburban towns with quick access to both services and natural spaces; to Harris and Ullman’s Polycentric City, focused on more organic growth with nodal points around which urban life could be developed – there have been countless planning ideals throughout urban history that have prioritised proximity as a central tenant.?

Coined in 2016 by researcher and professor Carlos Moreno, the ‘15-minute city’ concept gained popularity (and infamy) during the COVID-19 pandemic. As people around the world adapted to the necessity of working from home, awareness about the quality of residents’ immediate neighbourhoods came to the fore and debates about the development of liveable cities were robust. The 15-minute city?concept, which Moreno explained as “an urban set-up where locals are able to access all of their basic essentials at distances that would not take them more than 15 min by foot or by bicycle” seems simple enough. ?

But what are the defining characteristics of a 15-minute city? And what kinds of difficulties may be faced when adapting to this model? A study commissioned by EIT Urban Mobility and conducted by researchers at the Technical University of Munich, entitled ‘±15 Minute City: Human-centred planning in action’ aimed to dive deeper into these questions.?

Core principles of 15-minute cities?

The study reviewed 16 municipalities around the world that have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, a 15-minute city strategy. These municipalities are diverse in geography, spanning from Tempe, Arizona in the United States, to Melbourne, Australia; with countless locations between. The purpose of this review was to observe and pinpoint the planning principles, that together comprise the 15-minute city.??

The research found the following eight planning principles as key to the 15-minute city:?

• Proximity to services: Residents can access essential services within a reasonable walking or cycling distance.?

• Public transport connectivity: Integration with reliable public transport expands access beyond local neighbourhoods with ease.?

• Density and mixed land use: Compact urban designs support diverse land uses, reducing reliance on cars and enabling greater access to services.?

• Walkable and cyclable streets: Safe and inclusive pedestrian and cycling infrastructure is prioritised.?

• Liveable public spaces: Placemaking fosters a sense of community and identity, encouraging life in public space.?

• Inclusiveness: Cities are accessible to all, irrespective of age, ability or socioeconomic status.?

• Ubiquity: Equitable access ensures the features of the 15-minute city are widespread, not confined only to affluent neighbourhoods.?

Benefits of the 15-minute city?

The planning principles of the 15-minute city align with environmental and social sustainability goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and enhancing social cohesion; leading to numerous direct and indirect benefits.??

As greater emphasis has been placed on encouraging active modes of transportation, European investments have followed suit accordingly. The European Cyclists Federation (ECF) reports that while roughly €700 million went into cycle projects from 2007-2013, that figure grew to €2-2.5 billion in the following period of 2014-20, and €3.21 billion is currently earmarked for the 2021-2027 EU funding period. These investments have already saved Europe 16 million tonnes of CO2 annually, and participation in active modes of transport both directly and indirectly improves the health outcomes of urban citizens.??

In addition to environmental and health benefits, research conducted by the ECF found that cycling generates €150 billion in benefits annually for the European economy, with €90 billion coming from the positive externalities stemming from improvements to the environment, public health and transportation systems. In terms of walkability, the ARUP Group found that Portland, Oregon’s reduced car dependency redirected $1.2 billion into the economy of the local neighbourhood. Walkable environments have also shown a positive correlation between the value of services, creation of new employment opportunities and the support of local businesses.??

Lastly, as a 'human-centred' approach, the 15-minute city offers positive social impacts. Studies have found that regenerating urban spaces for improved walking and cycling accessibility increases social cohesion and sense of place (also referred to as ‘placemaking’). In turn, residents feel greater engagement with the community, crime decreases, and the perception of security and safety is improved. Additionally, Moreno cites a key social goal of the 15-minute city is recovering time that would traditionally be spent in congested traffic or commuting to work, for good quality time spent with family and friends, or self-improvement and leisure for the improvement of well-being.??

Suburban and urban challenges in implementation??

The study makes clear that, while the planning principles have great benefits, the 15-minute city concept is not a one-size-fits-all solution and implementation still face unique challenges in both suburban and urban areas.??

In suburban contexts, low density, limited mixed-use developments and car dependency hinder the feasibility of compact, walkable neighbourhoods. In order to work towards a 15-minute city planning model, the study outlines the necessity of policy shifts toward mixed-use zoning and better public transport.?

In urban centres where density is not a concern, different issues are found. Rising property values and gentrification threaten the diversity of a 15-minute city and can easily become a problem if left unchecked. Therefore, the study recommends integrating inclusive policies, such as rent controls and affordable housing initiatives to avoid the creation of class segregation, inaccessibility and exclusivity as an unwanted byproduct of the 15-minute city planning principles.?

An urban conspiracy??

Despite the relative simplicity of the 15-minute city, and its numerous benefits, the concept has also received notable backlash in recent years. Famously, in late-2022 a conspiracy theory began to circulate that the concept has been dreamed up by the ‘global elite to contain people in open-air prisons’. ?

Unfortunately, conspiracy-minded personalities spread misinformation on the internet, and the British Minister of Transportation, Mark Harper also helped to stoke the flames of discontent in a speech in late-2023:?“There's nothing wrong with making sure people can walk or cycle to the shops or school. That's traditional town planning. What is sinister and what we shouldn't tolerate is the idea that local councils can decide how often you go to the shops and that they ration who uses the roads and when, and they police it all with CCTV.”?

The concepts of geographical confinement and surveillance are not in any way aligned with the core planning principles of the 15-minute city – which merely aims to bring residents closer to the goods and services they need in order to improve the quality of their day-to-day life. As these conspiracies are not grounded in the reality of the concept, they will not be explored further (but you may be interested in this podcast, or this article for more investigation on the subject).? ?

A human-centred city model?

The 15-minute city offers a compelling vision of urban living where proximity fosters environmental, financial, health and social improvements. However, successful implementation of these planning principles hinges on thoughtful, inclusive planning that accounts for diverse needs, as well as combatting misinformation at early stages of implementation. ?

For more information about how to implement the 15-minute city planning principles, or for a deeper dive into the research, please explore the full study: ±15 Minute City: Human-centred planning in action.

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