Communication is the cornerstone when building a 15-minute city

The term “15-minute city” describes a contemporary planning concept, developed by Panthéon-Sorbonne professor Carlos Moreno, that advocates for urban development that reduces our carbon footprint and fosters a sense of place and community, says Dr Suzanne Meade.

“The ‘15-minute’ name refers to the time needed to walk or cycle/wheel to essential daily activities such as education, healthcare, shops, entertainment and your workplace etc,” adds Meade, senior engineer and road safety technical specialist at Transport Infrastructure Ireland. “In terms of distance, a 15-minute walk is about 1,200 metres and a 15-minute cycle is about four or five kilometres.”

Achieving the 15-minute city

Through engagement, collaboration, consultation, investment and delivery, both with hard and soft infrastructure, 15-minute cities can be achieved, says Stephen Purcell, director, KPMG Future Analytics.

“Achieving this is subject to the different geographical contexts and practices. Where smaller cities and towns are in consideration, this concept might already be in practice,” says Purcell. “Some slightly bigger towns and cities may only require minimal infrastructural changes. However, where cities are more car-centric, this would be a greater challenge which might require reconsidering the urban landscape – including existing practices and regulations – and possibly reshaping, to some extent, the existing infrastructure.”

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Pros and cons

The benefit of a 15-minute city is sustainable mobility, which leads to improved air quality, improved quality of life, reduced traffic noise, reduced travel burden on those who carry out caring duties, safer streets for children to independently travel to school or play, more attractive communities and more space for green space, says Meade.

“Stringing multiple neighbourhoods like this together improves overall quality of life in our cities and keeps them vibrant and attractive to both live and work,” she adds.

“The drawback of trying to achieve sustainable mobility retrospectively is that, while many will agree it’s a good thing, the reality of closing road lanes, removing parking and slowing traffic becomes the narrative rather than the potential positive outcome, and often stands in the way of significant change.”

Bringing the public on a journey

Edel Kelly, head of transport planning at Dublin City Council, says the key to getting the public on board is communicating exactly what benefits that any changes or opening up of areas will have for them. “This is a simple planning concept. We want people to be able to live locally, to be able to walk children to school or to be able to go to the shops to get a pint of milk, without having to hop in the car,” says Kelly.

The challenge for developers and councils is to persuade people that these changes are for their benefit – and are not an ‘anti-car’ campaign

—  Edel Kelly, Dublin City Council

“All these amenities should be accessible – but 15 minutes as the crow flies is not necessarily being able to get somewhere in 15 minutes. A bus stop might be just over there as the crow flies but it might take me 15 minutes to walk to it. If the council can open up a cul de sac, for example, and create a new route, that could become a five-minute walk.”

Kelly says that often people object to their areas being opened up. “The challenge for developers and councils is to persuade people that these changes are for their benefit – and are not an ‘anti-car’ campaign.”

Government support

Achieving 15-minute cities in Ireland will require support at all levels, with the central Government promoting it at a national level and regional and local authorities best placed to translate these principles into achievable policies and objectives in their respective city and county development plans and local area plans, says Dr William Hynes, managing director, KPMG Future Analytics.

“As the primary tools to control, guide and support plan-led development in urban areas, reflecting – and integrating – sustainable land-use planning and town centre and social infrastructure ambitions in these frameworks are key to realising the 15-minute city concept in Ireland,” says Hynes.

He says that in large, mixed-use or residential-led mixed-use development projects, promoters and design teams need to demonstrate the positive community gain that such changes can lead to.

“A stronger commitment to community engagement for impactful large-scale projects would also support the overall pursuit of the 15-minute city/neighbourhood model,” he adds.