Study on 15-Minute Cities Highlights Accessibility Disparities
A study published in Nature Cities reveals that while cities like Zurich and Milan have high accessibility to essential services, sprawling North American cities like San Antonio lag significantly behind. The research emphasizes the need for urban planning that minimizes car dependency and promotes walkability.
| Score | Value |
|---|---|
Scale | 8 |
Novelty | 6 |
Positivity | 5 |
Reliability | 8 |
Actionability | 3 |
Society | 7 |
Journalism | 4 |
Highlights
- 99.2% of Zurich residents live within a 15-minute walk of essential services, while only 2.5% of San Antonio residents do.
- The study published in the journal Nature Cities analyzed 54 cities to determine accessibility to essential services.
- Midsize European cities like Zurich, Milan, Copenhagen, and Dublin had over 95% of residents living within a 15-minute walk of essential services.
- Atlanta would need to relocate 80% of its amenities to achieve equal distribution per resident, while Paris would need to relocate just 10%.
- The concept of 15-minute cities has faced criticism from conspiracy theorists, despite being a long-standing idea in urban planning.
Perspectives
- The concept of 15-minute cities has been criticized by conspiracy theorists who view it as a government plot to control movement, which has frustrated urban planners and scientists advocating for reduced car dependency to improve public health.
- Experts argue that there is no universal solution for all cities regarding accessibility and that urban planning should focus on minimizing car dependency and integrating nature-based solutions to enhance urban environments.