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Definition of the 15-minute city: WHAT IS THE 15-MINUTE CITY?

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Abstract

The 15-minute city is a new urban model that promotes a human-centric and environmentally sustainable urban future. The idea at its core is that cities should be designed-or redesigned-so that residents of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities in all parts of the city are able to access their daily needs (housing, work, food, health, education, and culture and leisure) within the distance of a 15-minute walk or bike ride. The model supports a decentralised city and a modal shift away from private vehicles, which at the same time reduces the use of fossil fuels and increases the quality of life for citizens. The model does not call for a return to village life, however. Instead, the 15-minute city is a decidedly urban theory that heralds urban life with all its advantages: vibrancy, creativity, diversity, innovation, active citizenship, and technology used for the common good. The 15-minute city model reintroduces the qualities of older cities, adapted to contemporary lifestyles. The 15-minute city is based on universal human needs and is flexible enough to work in all cities regardless of size, geographical and cultural differences. It can also be applied both when redesigning existing cities as well as in the planning of new cities or urban areas. In addition, the model is easily translatable to specific urban policies and encourages citizen participation and The 15-minute city at a glance The 15-minute city is a term coined in 2016 by Carlos Moreno, scientific director and professor specialising in complex systems and innovation at University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. The term covers an urban theory and an urban model that cities can use to ensure that all residents are able to access their daily needs (work, housing, food, health, education, and culture and leisure) within the distance of a 15-minute walk or bike ride. The model has been adopted by several cities around the world, most notably in Paris. In 2020, C40 Cities promoted the 15-minute city idea as a blueprint for post-COVID-19 recovery.
Definition of the 15-minute city
WHAT IS THE 15-MINUTE CITY?
The 15-minute city is a new urban model that promotes a human-centric and environmentally
sustainable urban future.
The idea at its core is that cities should be designed or redesigned so that residents of all
ages, backgrounds, and abilities in all parts of the city are able to access their daily needs
(housing, work, food, health, education, and culture and leisure) within the distance of a 15-
minute walk or bike ride.
The model supports a decentralised city and a modal shift away from private vehicles,
which at the same time reduces the use of fossil fuels and increases the quality of life for citizens.
The model does not call for a return to village life, however. Instead, the 15-minute city is a
decidedly urban theory that heralds urban life with all its advantages: vibrancy, creativity,
diversity, innovation, active citizenship, and technology used for the common good. The 15-
minute city model reintroduces the qualities of older cities, adapted to contemporary lifestyles.
The 15-minute city is based on universal human needs and is flexible enough to work in all cities
regardless of size, geographical and cultural differences. It can also be applied both when
redesigning existing cities as well as in the planning of new cities or urban areas. In addition, the
model is easily translatable to specific urban policies and encourages citizen participation and
The 15-minute city at a glance
The 15-minute city is a term coined in 2016 by Carlos Moreno, scientific director and
professor specialising in complex systems and innovation at University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
The term covers an urban theory and an urban model that cities can use to ensure that all residents
are able to access their daily needs (work, housing, food, health, education, and culture and leisure)
within the distance of a 15-minute walk or bike ride.
The model has been adopted by several cities around the world, most notably in Paris where mayor
Anne Hidalgo collaborated with Carlos Moreno and made it part of her re-election campaign in 2020.
In 2020, C40 Cities promoted the 15-minute city idea as a blueprint for post-COVID-19 recovery.
cross-disciplinary action between architects, landscape architects, urban planners, other
professionals, politicians, businesses, developers, and owners.
The decentralised, polycentric, and multi-service 15-minute city promotes the common good to
guarantee a city for all and avoid gentrification.
BENEFITS OF THE 15-MINUTE CITY
Better health and quality of life: less commute time, allowing people to have more free
time at their disposal; physical and mental health benefits of active travel, cleaner air, easy
access to healthy food options, quality green space, and stronger community ties that
reduce loneliness.
A more environmentally sustainable city: lower transport emissions from cars; more
trees, vegetation, and green space, which also eases the urban heat-island effect, reduces
flood risk, and improves biodiversity.
A more equitable and inclusive city: more public spaces, both indoors and outdoors, in
which to play, mix, and socialise; support for neighbourhood businesses and
entrepreneurs; street design and active travel schemes for vulnerable users and people
who cannot afford a car; incentives for citizens to participate in local policy-making; a
stronger sense of community.
A boost to the local economy: more footfall for local high streets; more local and diverse
employment opportunities; more productive use of buildings and street space.
THE RELEVANCE OF, AND THE URGENT NEED FOR, A NEW URBAN MODEL
The 15-minute city breaks with the primacy of the car and the dysfunctional urban patterns
brought about through decades of large-scale modern urban planning. For too long, people
have accepted the dysfunctions and indignities of modern cities and adapted to the absurd
organisation and long distances of most of today's cities, says Moreno in his TED talk.
“It's funny if you think of it: the way many modern cities are designed is often determined by the
imperative to save time, and yet so much time is lost to commuting, sitting in traffic jams, driving
to a mall, in a bubble of illusory acceleration,” he says.
Many of the qualities of the 15-minute city were the norm before cars became dominant, and
cities were divided into disconnected areas reserved for each their purpose: residential areas
separated from retail, businesses, industry, and entertainment. This urban planning regime has
increased transport time and transport emissions and intensified the stress on the environment.
COVID-19 and the lockdowns of the world’s cities has made people appreciate even more the
value of walkable, local public space and has highlighted the need to imagine a more attractive
and sustainable urban future.
HOW THE MODEL DIFFERS FROM SIMILAR THEORIES
The 15-minute city shares ideas with other urban theories, such as Jane Jacobs’ thoughts on
urban life and the Nobel Prize-winning economist Elinor Ostrom’s work on governing the
commons, as well as other people-centric approaches. However, the 15-minute city also
responds to new challenges such as climate change, COVID-19, and globalisation and their
potentials. The 15-minute city embraces changes in life and workstyles as well as new technology
and innovations such as electric mobility, digitalisation, and the sharing economy. Furthermore,
the 15-minute city includes cultural and social needs and environmental concerns.
Contrary to many urban theories, the 15-minute city is free of political ideology and attitudes
towards the aesthetics of the architecture and refrains from specific instructions on urban space
design. The 15-minute city merely defines a number of universal human needs and functions and
the desirable distance to them, and in this way, it is easily adaptable to all cities.
THE 15-MINUTE MODEL IN DETAIL
The 15-minute city is based on six essential human needs, three goals or features, and four
guiding principles, as defined by Carlos Moreno.
The six essential urban social functions that are needed in all cities:
Living, working, supplying, caring, learning, and enjoying.
I.e. housing, work, food, health, education, and culture and leisure.
The three key features that define a good city:
1. The rhythm of the city should follow humans, not cars.
2. Each square metre should serve many different purposes.
3. Neighbourhoods should be designed to live, work, and thrive in them without having to
constantly commute elsewhere
The four guiding principles that are the key building blocks to design the 15-minute city:
1. Ecology: for a green and sustainable city.
2. Proximity: to live with reduced distances to other activities.
3. Solidarity: to create links between people.
4. Participation: to engage citizens in the transformation of their neighbourhoods.
The C40 Cities, a network of the world’s metropolises committed to addressing climate change,
has used the 15-minute city model to define more concrete solutions:
1. 'Complete' neighbourhoods: provide all amenities through zoning, mixed-use, land-use.
2. People-centred streets and mobility: provide pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure.
3. A place for everyone: provide for everyone, avoid social divides, engage citizens.
4. Connected places: provide public transit and internet.
THE ADOPTION OF THE MODEL WORLDWIDE A GLOBAL MOVEMENT
The 15-minute city model has proved easy to translate from theory into urban policy and into
political programmes that resonate with citizens. From Paris to Houston, Milan, Brussel, Valencia,
Chengdu, and Melbourne, the ideas behind the 15-minute city have been implemented in cities
with great success, generating a global movement.
The phrase ’15-minute city’ is the most commonly used term internationally, popularised by Paris
Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Carlos Moreno. However, cities are using many other terms to describe
the same set of principles ‘ciudad a escala humana’ (‘human-scale city’, Buenos Aires),
‘complete neighbourhoods’ (Portland, Oregon), ‘Barrios Vitales’ (’vital neighbourhoods’, Bogotá),
’20-minute neighbourhoods’ (Melbourne). In China, Shanghai and Chengdu are working with 15-
minute walks or ’15-minute community life circles’.
Dublin, Ottawa, Busan and Seattle are among those to have declared plan to implement the
approach.
In 2020, C40 Cities promoted the 15-minute city idea as a blueprint for post-COVID-19 recovery.
CRITICISM
Critics have pointed out that the model could lead to increased marginalisation of disadvantaged
neighbourhoods. However, this can be avoided by focusing first on underserved areas of the city
when implementing the 15-minute city model. The management of resources with an urban
policy based on the urban commons is essential for a 15-minute city for all.
SOURCES
C40 Knowledge Community
https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/How-to-build-back-better-with-a-15-minute-
city?language=en_US
Carlos Moreno’s professional website
http://www.moreno-web.net/the-15-minutes-city-for-a-new-chrono-urbanism-pr-carlos-moreno/
Carlos Moreno’s TED talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/carlos_moreno_the_15_minute_city/transcript?language=en
Entrepreneurship, Territory, Innovation Chair
https://chaire-eti.org/en/
... Although chronologically distant, the analyzed plans contain elements of the NEB platform, and their occurrence can be assessed. It is also important to note that the research is focused on specific fragments of the city rather than the city as a whole, building on studies suggesting that targeted spatial standards should appear consistently across all parts of the city, as well as at the level of the city as a whole [31]. ...
... A proposal for Green Norm 2.0: analyses of European cities and towns [41] Areas The "15-minute city": urban planning concept [12,31,45,46] Accessibility to the daily needs of residents (housing, work, food, health, education, culture, and leisure) ...
... Closest to this theme are considerations of the "15-minute city", presenting an urban planning model that promotes a human-oriented and ecologically sustainable urban future. The central idea is the concept of designing and reshaping cities so that all residents, regardless of age, background, and abilities, can access their daily needs (housing, work, food, health, education, culture, and leisure) within a 15-minute walking distance in all parts of a city [31]. The network and arrangement of these programs have been analyzed through affirmative and desirable systems based on a 15-minute accessibility [12]. ...
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The aim of the research is to provide a numerical evaluation of the occurrence of New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles in urban plans, using four key indicators: GI (green infrastructure), POS (public open space), PSN (public and social needs), and UR (urban reconstruction). The initial step in the research involves determining numerical quantitative indicators with target reference values, which are then used as a measure of compliance with the vision of the NEB. Indicators are modeled based on elements embedded in urban plans and implemented in a framework for evaluating these plans. Through the analysis of collected data, a comparison is made with the set goals and values of the NEB, thus enabling the assignment of ratings for occurrence and identification of areas where improvements are needed. The research results for Rijeka point to the need for planning new green areas, maintaining and developing street networks, and increasing pedestrian and park areas. Additionally, there is a suggested need to increase content to meet public and social needs and expand areas planned for urban reconstruction. The research results emphasize the importance of monitoring and adjusting urban plans to the NEB platform to achieve sustainable and balanced urban development goals, highlighting the need for continuous improvement in the quality of urban planning.
... На конференції 2021 року К. Морено разом із колегою представив своє бачення 15-хвилинного міста як людиноорієнтованого та екологічно стійкого міського майбутнього [3]. Ідея полягає у проєктуванні або переплануванні міста так, щоб мешканці будь-якого віку та фізичних можливостей мали доступ від свого житла до місця своїх щоденних потреб, як-от: робота, культура і відпочинок, купівля продуктів харчування, медичний захист, на відстані 15 хвилин пішки або велосипедом. ...
... Також можна побачити близьку пішу доступність до інфраструктури (рис. [3][4][5]. ...
Article
Зауважено, що масова житлова забудова за радянських часів відбувалась за принципом кварталів та мікрорайонів. Тому концепцію міста короткої відстані не можна назвати новою. Але з появою Порядку денного сталого розвитку виникла нова назва концепції – 15-хвилинне місто. Науковці також розглядають варіанти 20-ти та 30-хвилинного міста. Досліджено, що необхідність відновлення чи проєктування районів міста за таким принципом пов’язана з необхідністю доступності до об'єктів інфраструктури задля забезпечення щоденних потреб: навчальні заклади, медичні установи, магазини, зони відпочинку. Також із розростанням міст зросла потреба у використанні приватного транспорту, що збільшує споживання енергоресурсів та шкодить навколишньому середовищу через велику кількість викидів шкідливих речовин у повітря. Концепція – це доступність пішки чи на велосипеді за короткий проміжок часу до всіх щоденно необхідних об'єктів, зокрема до місця роботи. Стала модернізація, як комплексна модернізація житлової забудови на засадах сталого розвитку, – частина містобудування. Тому відновлення старих житлових будинків разом із прибудинковою територією дає змогу розглядати сталу модернізацію у розрізі 15-тихвилинного міста. Висвітлено таку теоретичну концепцію. Описовим і візуальним методами обґрунтовано історичне підґрунтя та наявне архітектурно-планувальне рішення житлових кварталів для реалізації запропонованого принципу. За такою концепцією можливо реалізувати проєкти комплексної модернізації старої панельної житлової забудови не лише в Україні, а й в інших пострадянських країнах. Адже панельна житлова забудова відбувалася масово за одним принципом та за подібними архітектурними проєктами. І така забудова становить значну частину житлового фонду країни. Виявлено, що архітектурно-просторове планування житлових кварталів і мікрорайонів часів радянського союзу сприяє відновленню таких районів за концепцією 15-хвилинного міста.
... The Independent City scenario (IC) aims to represent a compact city, conceptually akin to a 15-min city (Moreno, 2021), composed of three cores with non-specialized functions, each representing the different emission sources sectors. Each of the cores will include a Residential, Commercial and Services sector, and Industrial sector, and an Agricultural sector. ...
... The results from this study and findings from literature reveal that urban morphology has an impact on air pollutant emissions, favoring compact urban areas. However, there is a need to implement policies, behavioral, and technological changes to mobility, such as, for example, the concept of 15-min cities (Moreno, 2021), which limits individual transportation for shorter distances (with preference for active mobility or public transport), greatly reducing the number of trips in those compact areas (in the case of FC and IC scenarios), and thus, reducing emissions. ...
... The media boom in the 15-minute city concept started out in the mid-2010s when Carlos Moreno (Associate Professor at IAE Paris -Panthéon Sorbonne University) gave a keynote speech on this concept at the 21st Paris Conference on Climate Change in 2015. According to Moreno (2021): ...
Article
Ever since Carlos Moreno's speech at the COP21 conference in Paris in 2015 on the need for a new urban design and planning paradigm based on the 15-minute city, the scientific literature and political debate on this topic have expanded exponentially across Europe. However, scholars, governments and citizen associations campaigning for more sustainable cities continue to ignore the debate around the role of nocturnal cities in the ongoing urban ecological transition in Europe. This text aims to advance the debate and discussion around the role that nocturnal 15-minute cities should play in fostering more socially inclusive, egalitarian, environmentally sustainable, resilient and fair European cities.
s metropolises committed to addressing climate change, has used the 15-minute city model to define more concrete solutions: 1. 'Complete' neighbourhoods: provide all amenities through zoning, mixed-use, land-use. 2. People-centred streets and mobility: provide pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure
  • The
  • Cities
The C40 Cities, a network of the world's metropolises committed to addressing climate change, has used the 15-minute city model to define more concrete solutions: 1. 'Complete' neighbourhoods: provide all amenities through zoning, mixed-use, land-use. 2. People-centred streets and mobility: provide pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure.