15 Minute Cities

[Buzzinwithbez]

Has anyone come across this idea? I dismissed it as the usual mad out of touch WEF thought experiment, then came across this.
www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23073992.traffic-filters-will-divide-city-six-15-minute-neighbourhoods-agrees-highways-councillor/

Can you get most of your needs met within 15 minutes walk in your town/city? Are your public transport links good enough to get to places you need to be within 15 minutes?

What would be the reasons you would need to leave your area/town?
Many reasons for me. The biggest that might not be deemed a necessity would very sadly be the nature defecit I have within 15 minutes.

I live in a village just outside the M25, I could meet the essential needs he's listed (bottle of milk, pharmacy, GP, schools) easily within a 15 minute walk - though the secondary nearby is a girls school so any son we had would be screwed - so that in itself wouldn't be an issue, and have nice countryside around we can walk to. So assuming we're allowed deliveries (clothes/supermarket/ other stuff) then yes I would only need to leave for work, which I get to by public transport anyway. Would be awfully boring though! And none of my family are that close so we'd need to drive to see them.

"It is about making sure you have the community centre which has all of those essential needs, the bottle of milk, pharmacy, GP, schools which you need to have a 15-minute neighbourhood."

Yes we have those. They've left a lot out, haven't they!
What we don't have is music and art and culture, my husband's workplace, my son's college - and his friends, my friends are mostly out of town as I've met them through hobbies, nature other than in a very small, manicured Victorian park, places to do my main hobby, clothing shops.

Why would you think it's a mad idea? It's a standard idea in urban planning, although it hasn't always been "branded" so neatly. But it's closely linked to Jane Jacob's work critiquing 1950s style planning in the US, when everything was zoned by use, previously functioning neighborhoods were divided up by large roads, and no provision was made for pedestrians, so people were forced into much higher levels of car use.

Oxfordshire County Council have missed the point of the concept completely. It's not about putting up barriers so people can't drive across cities, it's about planning and designing development with a mix of uses and services so that there is significantly less need to do it.

"Oxfordshire County Council have missed the point of the concept completely. It's not about putting up barriers so people can't drive across cities, it's about planning and designing development with a mix of uses and services so that there is significantly less need to do it."

Why have they translated it so hideously?
I would have thought that most European towns and cities have this. I'm concerned that he's limited the essentials to shelter, food, medication and school without acknowledging that humans need so much more to thrive.

It seems like we could roll back on out of town shopping complexes and focus on getting more businesses back into our town centres and local shopping strips and deeply invest in public transport, but otherwise thy're trying to fix something that is not broken. Or they're trying to fix a different broken thing under the guise of this without improving infrastructure.

I like the concept of 15 min cities. They should be the norm. Local high streets should be encouraged. Small local businesses should be subsidised with lower rates etc.

But dictating to people like this smacks of ghettoisation. Keep the poor people in poor neighbourhoods which are often food deserts. Let naice areas with the swish boutique charity shops, delis, artisan bakers, bike shops etc be sealed off from the great unwashed. It's a horrid policy.

Good point. 15 minute cities are meant to make sure the essentials (bottle of milk, maybe a pint of beer, GP and pharmacy) are within 15 minutes from home, and not build new developments without insisting on this. I have seen some people say the aim is to limit people's travel to 15 minutes from home. That would be a nightmare - but I am certain that isn't what is meant by the planners and governments (at least in Western countries).

It would be good to make sure new housing developments have a proper community centre and shops. Too often they don't.

Oh - and the article about Oxford is a load of rubbish.

I live on the edge of a small city and have primary, secondary schools and also supermarket, barbers, hairdresser, cafe within 15 mins. GP is more like 20 mins walking but 10 on a bike. Swimming pool about 20 mins cycle. Gym 15 mins walk. Chemists at the GPs. My work is also a 20 minute cycle ride away.

@witheringrowan I read The death and life of American cities at the beginning of the year and loved it. The theatre in our city is moving from the edge of town into the centre and I'm wondering if this will lead to other businesses benefiting from the increase in people.

I think they're a great idea

You've missed it my friend. They've already publicly said they will limit the use of your private car. Everywhere you go will be catalogued and you will only have X amount of days or time to drive. You're going to have to register your vehicles with the council. You're going to have only so many days a year you can drive your vehicle. You will be fined otherwise. Make no mistake, this is authoritarian and our western countries have already shown their ability to cross the line on their own people. I fear you are misinformed brother. Im from the US - this doesn't affect me. This isn't just prudent city planning. This is in fact a new level of totalitarianism. Mark my words. It may take some time for this poisonous tree to bare its fruits. But it certainly will.

No reasonable person is against planning a city with the 15 minute concept. Of course, that sounds lovely. But then again, this isn't what we're talking about. The fact that the majority of you didn't bother reading the literature on these plans is extremely disheartening.

We have lots of food shops, GP, pharmacy, primary school, park and open spaces, cafes, pubs and restaurants, train station all within 15 mins.

But no secondary school, library, hospital, cinema or theatre

That’s not right. You can use your car whenever you want, although you won’t be able to use certain routes more than 100 times a year (like you can’t go through a bus gate within certain peak hours on Oxford High Street). This is so buses and taxis and emergency vehicles can travel more quickly as some people will choose to switch to bus or change times, thus reducing congestion. Do you regard it as authoritarian that you have to stick to the speed limit, not use a phone or wear a seat belt? This is a version of the same sort of rule that will help us all get around safely and reduce jams.

As he's American, he may well regard it as a "God-given right". Along with the "God-given" right to eat food with dodgy additives and the "God-given" right to carry a semi-automatic weapon around.

No right to paid sick leave though, God wouldn't want that.

I think further restrictions on cars (central to the 15 min neighbourhoods) are fine in Oxford. I explain why here -

Ah, this is part of a campaign.

I note OP says "mad WEF thought experiment" but some those do become reality.

My concern would be limiting freedom of movement by the restriction of 100 times and fining people and mandating particular routes. Freedom of movement is a basic freedom. What does it mean when you extrapolate this idea - you end up living in a different city to your father, mother, daughter or son? Will there be mandated routes/permits of movement between cities as well as within cities?

Have a look at the Natural England ANGSt framework
Absolutely nature is a necessity

I do t think they’re restricting movement though are they? Just movement directly between two points using a car. You can still move directly between them using other means. And indirectly using a car. (And exception to the ‘not using a car’ for emergency vehicles, disabled etc.)

I agree with the basic right to travel, including internationally which is why post Brexit restrictions upset me. But nothing that is proposed is limiting freedom of movement. The biggest barrier to that freedom right now is congestion, so the councils are trying to tackle that by giving public transport priority. Every part of the city which is currently accessible by car will still be accessible after these changes. It means some trips might be easier by bus, which will allow those in cars to travel more smoothly. The trial is to make sure it works.

The report is rubbish (I’m sure you will be pleased to hear) and has been corrected since by Oxford Mail. Nobody is proposing districts in the city. 15-min neighbourhoods are being pursued by the City Council - as a way to make sure everyone (including the 30% of residents without cars) can get to the shop, pharmacy, doctor, school and so on easily. This is important when deciding on new developments and working with builders.

I understand and support the idea of limiting traffic in city centres. I don't live in a city and will often use P+R when I visit one. That includes Oxford and also my nearest city, Manchester.

But restricting the rights of residents to move around freely sounds too controlling. And frankly, any council official who says "people might not like it but it will happen anyway" gets my hackles up. Wtf does he think he works for?

Oxford is turning into a nightmare.

My daughter goes to school there, I live 8 miles outside and because of the plans and the latest changes in the traffic scheme, all the delays and extra costs the company that runs the coach scheme for some of the schools is pulling out.

More of us will now have to drive in and pick our kids up.

It all sounds great until you have to live in it.

If councils want people to drive less they're going to have to provide better cheaper public transport. Oh and stop approving out of town shopping/leisure/office developments.

It's a terrible idea and it's of noone benefit but the elite. It is ghettoisation they jist like to make it sound progressive.
I will just walk to the supermarket with 3 kids and back home with 4 bags of shopping.
Plus they forever think up reasons to fine poor people. They'll use any excuse.