IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Liveable city goals can be defined as a way of organising the city that reinforce social, environmental, and cultural wellbeing. 15-minute city is a type of liveable city and therefore shares its goals: (i) enhanced health and quality of life, (ii) a more environmentally sustainable city, (iii) a more equitable and inclusive city, and (iv) a boost to the local economy. A key element of 15-minute city is service density. Higher density is largely said to be more beneficial for achieving a liveable city. However, no further research is present to support this hypothesis. This article goes beyond correlation to unpack the dynamics and mechanisms behind how service density influences quality of life as a measure of a 15-minute city’s goals. Through regression methods and spatial analysis in ArcGIS, the data from Bristol’s quality of life survey and calculated density data from points of interest, so far confirms the presence of nuance in the relationship between density and quality of life in terms of the types of relationship and the definition of density.