A Time Construct

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In the wake of COVID-19, cities around the world have sought to tread lightly on the path of resilience by adopting a “timely” idea called the 15-min city. The idea is to create neighbourhoods where everything essential to the needs of the residents shall be made accessible within 15 minutes, that is, niche requirements such as workplaces, schools, healthcare, shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, and parks.

Cities such as Melbourne and Paris have initiated work in the same direction. But the conundrum facing policymakers is devising a model from scratch juxtaposed with current urban dwellings that segregate the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors of a city.

Thus, creating a new normal is a force to reckon alongside dealing with the current social construct; foremost being — infrastructural shift.

Since the adoption of the automobile, narrowing roads and converting them into pavements & bicycle-friendly zones might face “bike-lash” but is essential for improving public transport infrastructure in the ambit of a 15-minute city project.

For instance, Ghana, in West Africa judiciously utilized its bamboo supply by using bark for making bikes. This multi-purpose product addressed problems of climate change, poverty, rural-urban migration, and high unemployment among the youth in rural Ghana.

By fixing the mobility trap considerably, a medley of questions is posed.

“How are the residents going to procure the basic amenities? Will the rich-poor gap be widened owing to the exclusion of noisy informal industries? Will the increase in demand for housing in the inner circle of the city drive up the rent considerably? Are the cities willing to adapt to a hierarchical concentric circle model?

And the list shall go on…”

But primarily the inquisition is addressing the factor of housing facilities along with essentials. Investing in the whole idea shall be the first of our concerns. Allowing authorities to look at equity in a different light. Developing new urban areas in sync with the proposition will prove to be a better investment rather than forcing the current urban junta to get on board.

In 2016, 61.7 % of urban slum-dwellers were recorded in the sub-Saharan region, and 17 years from now, the major working-class will be in Africa (exceeding that of the rest of the world combined). Within the purview of this model, slums to smart cities shall increase the retainment value of houses than exchange value. Hence, instead of shunning slums as “have-nots” of cities, the authorities can draw conclusive models by mimicking informal housing without spatial irregularity. For this, an expandable home model can be installed which shall carry out the metabolism by dealing with waste, water, and energy locally - making housing adjustable to income needs. The government can finance smart homes by forming potential income groups and additionally to further revenue & creditworthiness green banks can be set-up along with issuing green bonds and targeting the biggest emitters.

Reflecting on the assets at the cities disposal and the ones required, going vocal for localization might come in handy if done in a just manner & should not result in alienated corporates. That is, enabling a free market where local owners can survive with a continuous flow of income by countering unnecessary travel across cities. Injecting life into local high streets shall majorly boost living standards by bringing back neighbourhood schools, running errands without impulsive buying, having community celebrations for diversity, and much more.

In a nutshell, the 15-minute city proposal shall act as an organizing principle for urban development; forming intersections of sectors restricted by the cities’ needs. Thus, achieving sustainability and liveability.

Hopefully, by now you’ll be able to identify the primary needs of your neighbourhood by simply answering, “Can you get to a grocery store, a park, a clinic, and a library in just a 15-minute ride from your home?”

References:

1. The 15-min city: Nurturing communities for smarter cities 2020 by Joe Appleton; https://hub.beesmart.city/en/strategy/the-15-minute-city-nurturing-communities-for-smarter-cities

2. How to build back better with a 15 min city 2020 by C40 Knowledge; https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/How-to-build-back-better-with-a-15-minute-city?language=en_US

3. Slums to Cities by UN-Habitat and ETH Zürich in Singapore; https://unhabitat.org/housing-slum-upgrading

Cover Image Credits: Carlos Moreno