VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

The 15-minute city model has recently gained prominence in academic and practical debates on promoting proximity planning. Proximity is one of the key dimensions in the 15-min city model. Carlos Moreno’s definition consists of an urban area model served by daily essential activities and services within a time not exceeding 15 minutes, on foot or by bicycle (Moreno, 2015). However, the literature points to postmodernist discussions also going back to this definition in concepts such as pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods and TOD, which form the basis of the genealogy of the concept of Walkability (reference). Therefore, we focus on Walkability as a critical element of proximity planning, in which the 15-minute City model fits. This work goes back critically to the origin of the 15-mint City model in chrono-urbanism (Ascher). However, it associates the time-space relation concept and pedestrian commuting (Moreno, 2021). We denote that the emphasis given to the “Time” masks substantially the context-sensitive values of Proximity and complex socio-territorial factors in walking behaviors. Finally, through a critical review of the concept 15-Minute City, we strengthen Walkability as human-dimension input for planning proximity urban cultures. Thus, the debate permeates urban planning issues, becoming promising in the interface between academics and policymakers.