15-Minute Communities
Put simply, the idea of 15-minute communities is simply that daily tasks (groceries, appointments, work, etc.) can be accomplished within a 15-minute walk, roll, or cycle from one's home.
There are many different examples of how cities are attempting to implement 15-minute cities, and they are usually doing so in combination with other changes (de- or re-zoning, placemaking, etc.). It is typically, in our experience, easier to find these kinds of communities in larger, urban centres, often in European cities. However, as more and more people come to enjoy this urban planning idea, more developers and cities look to it for inspiration; it isn't always accomplished (far from it), but any improvements are welcome.
The City of Ottawa, Ontario has a pretty comprehensive draft report from September 2021 that can be downloaded here: City of Ottawa 15-Minute Neighbourhood Report.
In that report, the City conducted a survey of city residents which spelled out what services residents desire within 15-minute neighbourhoods:
- Grocery stores and supermarkets
- Parks, with or without playgrounds or splash pads
- Retail/Commercial - restaurants, bookstores, laundry, bakeries, pet stores, bars, convenience stores, etc.
- OC Transpo Bus Stops
- Health Services
- O-Train/Light Rail Transit Stations
- Indoor recreational and community facilities, including libraries
- Elementary and secondary schools
- Childcare facilities
There are many other resources on 15-minute neighbourhoods/communities, and those can be found below:
- Strong Towns: 7 Rules for Creating "15-Minute Neighbourhoods"
- CBC: Welcome to the 15-minute neighbourhood: Intensification key to city's official plan
- Deloitte Global: 15-Minute City
- BBC: How '15-minute cities' will change the way we socialise
- The Life-Sized City on YouTube: 15 Minute Cities! Exploring Transferability and the Life-Sized City
- TED on YouTube: The 15-minute city | Carlos Moreno