The 15-minute city
There's an interesting piece in this weekend's FT about the idea of the 15-minute city - where, to reduce the amount of car traffic, things are arranged so that most of the things you need are available within 15 minutes. "It's an idea that is based on research into how city dwellers’ use of time could be reorganised to improve both living conditions and the environment. Developed by Professor Carlos Moreno at the Sorbonne in Paris, the concept of “la ville du quart d’heure” is one in which daily urban necessities are within a 15-minute reach on foot or by bike. Work, home, shops, entertainment, education and healthcare — in Moreno’s vision, these should all be available within the same time a commuter might once have waited on a railway platform .... [it] makes multi-hour commutes appear wasteful, and clock-watching office life inefficient. .... Above all, the 15-minute city is one that cuts down unnecessary journeys: “We need to reduce the presence of cars on the streets,” says Moreno." (Note that it's about reducing, not eliminating cars on the streets).Moreno is a special envoy to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and has obviously influenced her thinking; I wish we had someone like that here.The article isn't uncritical of the idea and presents both sides; you can read it in full here (oddly, it's not available on the FT's website but on a Danish finance group's: https://finanz.dk/welcome-to-the-15-minute-city/
Richard Carter ● 2304d13 Comments ● 2303d