The 15-minute city is no sinister plot, so what exactly is it?

The urban planning concept of a “15-minute city” is a human-centered approach that makes climate goals a priority, but it’s a frequent target of conspiracy theories and opponents—most recently from British Transport Secretary Mark Harper of the Conservative Party. The BBC and others have refuted the idea that it’s a plot to establish authoritarian government control, but that leaves the question: what is a 15-minute city, really?

First of all, the idea isn’t new. In the United States, the climate-conscious city of Portland, Oregon, first embraced the idea of “20-minute neighborhoods” in 2008. The following year, the city set a goal to have 90% of its population living in communities where grocery stores, transit stops and retail shops, schools and public libraries all were no more than 20 minutes away in walkable distance.

Melbourne, Australia, was soon to follow with a pilot program to launch three 20-minute neighborhoods in 2010. Then a modified version of a 15-minute city was promoted by Mayor Anne Hidalgo in Paris, where the shift to a walkable, bikeable city has been one of the most successful on the planet. Sorbonne Professor Carlos Moreno has been credited with arguably “inventing” the term, but it’s his efforts to make it more visible that are key.

The C40 group of cities has made efforts like Bogotá’s Barrios Vitales central to the future vision of inclusive city life, with access to medical offices, parks, and arts and social opportunities within the community sphere. And, yes, it means less driving and less transport-related greenhouse gas emissions.

“A 15-minute city reimagines streets and public space to prioritize people not driving, building more vibrant neighborhoods where walking and cycling are the main ways of getting around,” says the C40 organization. “This means reclaiming car-dominated space for more productive, social and community-building uses, upgrading walking and cycling infrastructure to better serve the daily, local trips of people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, and expanding green space in every neighborhood.”

The truth about the 20-minute city, now known as the 15-minute city, is that it’s actually based on principles of urban planning that have stood the test of time. In a 2022 thesis, University of Washington graduate student Chaim Simon notes the century-old influences of urban planner Clarence Perry or the ideas of architect Le Corbusier, who died in 1965.

It’s hard to square the actual impacts, in terms of urban planning and placemaking, with Harper’s claim that a 15-minute city is “sinister” and designed to take away your cars and your freedom. In fact, Simon’s study compared Portland’s progress from 2010 and 2020 and found there was no decrease in the cars on Portland streets.

“Portland became more accessible due to an increase in transit service, retail, convenience stores and sidewalks,” the paper said. “However, these changes did not lower vehicle miles traveled within the city.”

It’s true that fewer car miles are a priority for Portland, Paris and other cities, and many of Harper’s claims are in service to car culture with opposition to policies that help to curb car use. But that’s not the only goal of a walkable city. For example, new research from New York University and Columbia University finds women who live in walkable neighborhoods have lower rates of obesity-related cancers, especially breast cancer after menopause. An April 2023 study from Dublin, Ireland reports more happiness in walkable communities.

“It is an idea that is as much about lifestyle as infrastructure,” said Iain White, who has helped to promote a 20-minute city in Hamilton, New Zealand. “In simple terms, it is about living locally and aiming to give you most of what you need for a good life within a 20-minute walk, cycle, or public transport trip from home.”