For decades, modern cities were largely designed around automobiles, highways and rapid expansion. Urban growth often prioritized economic efficiency, large scale infrastructure and suburban development over human interaction, walkability and quality of life.
As cities expanded outward, commuting times increased, traffic congestion worsened and many urban residents became increasingly disconnected from essential services within their own neighborhoods.
Weiterlesen: The rise of the “15 minute city” and human centered urban planning | News.az
A conversation with Carlos Moreno can only open in one way, really.
The Colombian is associate professor and scientific director of the ETI chair at the Sorbonne Business School, a special smart city envoy for the mayor of Paris, and a chevalier de la légion d’honneur. The week after we spoke, he was heading to New York to give the prestigious annual Lewis Mumford lecture at the City College of New York.
But people know him mostly as the inventor of the 15-minute city, one of the key concepts in modern urban policy.
Weiterlesen: 'The X-minute city': Reshaping urban life for a more sustainable future
There are few experiences more soul-sucking than sitting in traffic. According to NPR, the average American lost nearly an hour a week to traffic congestion in 2022. Drivers lose an additional 17 hours per year hunting for parking, USA Today reports — and in the same survey, 34 percent of U.S. drivers said they had given up on a trip because of parking problems.
By contrast: Picture living in a bustling neighborhood where all your friends, basic needs, and even your job are reachable by a quick walk or bike or bus ride. (Something many people experience, possibly for the first and last time, on college campuses.) In such a city, parking areas may have been reclaimed as urban greenways, chance encounters with neighbors might be more common, and small local businesses would proliferate and thrive.
Weiterlesen: How ‘15-minute cities’ could save time, reduce emissions, and build community
As cities continue to grow and become more complex, the need for efficient and sustainable urban development becomes increasingly important.
One concept that has gained traction in recent years is the idea of building 15-minute smart cities.
Weiterlesen: The Role of Construction in Urban Development: Building 15 Minute Smart Cities
What’s the context?
The concept of 15-minute cities is gaining traction around the world, but so are conspiracy theories calling it the start of “climate lockdowns”.
- 15-minute cities aim to make towns more liveable
- Most things a short walk or cycle away
- But some call it a "climate lockdown"
Experts believe 15-minute cities, where most things are a short walk or bike ride away, could help tackle climate change and improve the quality of life, but conspiracy theorists see the idea as a bid to lock people up in their own neighbourhoods.
Weiterlesen: What’s a 15-minute city? Liveable urban space or climate lockdown?