The 15-minute city: where everywhere is reachable in 15 minutes

Our cities are becoming more crowded. This growth brings with it a whole raft of challenges – including when it comes to mobility. To enable cities to enhance their residents’ quality of life despite a growing population, new ideas are needed – such as the concept of the 15-minute city.

Just imagine. Everything you need to live your life can be reached within quarter of an hour: your workplace, the hairdresser, the school, the doctor, the gym, your favorite restaurant, the shopping mall – and it’s all conveniently accessible on foot, by bike, e-scooter or by public transport.  

That’s the idea of the 15-minute city. The goal is to improve the quality of life in urban areas by reducing our reliance on cars. We’re still using our cars too much in our cities. According to a study by the Federal Statistical Office (1), around 69% of all journeys in Switzerland are made by car, while only 3% are made by bicycle and 5% on foot. And outside Switzerland, these statistics are no different either. So big cities such as Barcelona, Paris and Vienna are also working on visionary projects that develop the idea of the 15-minute city.  

Enhancing quality of life

The idea of the 15-minute city has several benefits. Reducing automobile traffic improves air quality and cuts down noise pollution. The shorter distances to work (or to leisure activities) leave more time for family and friends. A smaller radius of movement encourages inhabitants to maintain neighborly relations. And last but not least, the concept promotes physical activity (cycling, walking), which has a positive effect on residents’ health. Paris (3) has jumped on the bandwagon and has committed itself to quite an uncompromising transport transition. The measures to be introduced include, among other things, creating more low-traffic zones and rigorously enforcing them with penalties for drivers. At the same time, the city’s network of urban bicycle lanes, already 700km long, will be further expanded.   

Everyone needs to play their part

However, to put the 15-minute city concept into practice, several factors have to line up. Chief among these is a well-designed urban infrastructure. Safe cycle paths, pedestrian zones, and improvements to public transport are needed. A 2020 (2) study by ETH Zurich shows that good access to public transport and short distances on foot or by bike increases the likelihood that people will use these means of transport.  

In addition, urban planners, policy-makers, and the public need to work together closely. Here’s a glimpse of how things could work in the city of the future: Masdar City (4), a completely green city. Masdar is a pilot project that will show the world how possibilities can be harnessed and implemented successfully. The needs and aspirations of residents are crucial to success and must be taken into account during planning to ensure the concept will enjoy a high level of acceptance. Public participation and regular feedback loops are therefore vital to ensure the appealing idea of the 15-minute city doesn’t remain merely a utopian dream, but becomes reality. A reality that enhances the quality of city living, even when more and more people are forced to share a compact living space. 

The concept of the 15-minute city still sounds a long way off, but even here in Switzerland, urban planners and the government will have to address the issue sooner rather than later. Increasing urbanization is changing what we need from mobility options, and what we want. How we move, and how far away, will become more sustainable. At the same time, mobility concepts are becoming more flexible and more individually customizable.  

Sources:

1 Federal Statistical Office, Commuter mobility, 2021.)

2 https://ivtmobis.ethz.ch/mobis/covid19/reports/latest_de

3 https://www.mobil.nrw/verbinden/blog/mobilitaet-in-paris-verkehrswende-ohne-kompromisse.html

4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1NNEv0bZCU