“What took us to the back 40, stays in the back 40.” That was the thought of this writer, some years ago when renting a country cottage. Why were there were a motley collection of dead vehicles on the edge of a local farm’s back 40? Well, what sane farm family wanted to trudge for 15 minutes to that location when an old clapped out banger, bought for a song, could drive you there (not so much lazy as generally overworked).
This unique little niche of car culture is a rather long-winded example of why everyone on earth is not automatically enamoured with the the idea of a ’15 minute city’ (measured by walking, not driving)1.
Certainly, society’s poorest and most vulnerable (including social housing residents) often find their family health and finances seriously impacted by a need to travel long and expensive distances to buy food as well as other essential resources that are far more than 15 minutes away.
A fifteen-minute city concept has been received positively in a number of countries and cities. Active planning is already in progress to achieve this objective. And yet there are those prepared to condemn the concept out of hand. To clarify some of the understanding about why the needs of the city’s vulnerable population pale in comparison with the 15-minute city haters, read more at de zeen: UK politician attacks 15-minute city concept in parliament
Footnotes
- For more details on the nature of 15-minute cities, try: Here’s A Serious Question: Can We Learn Anything At All From Social Media?
