The Inclusive ± 15-Minute City

Cities need to cater for its citizens' needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic the value of urban space became evident. We questioned the use of space in our cities. From bottom-down tactical urbanism to top-down street interventions. Our streets saw a temporary redesign and often a transformation in its use - often without any planning and assessment. Planning practitioners need suitable tools in order to find neighbourhoods which are lacking to fulfil the walkable access to basic needs.

With this in mind we developed an open-access 15-Minute accessibility score which can provide a quick scan in order to find vulnerable neighbourhoods in order to start the participation process. The neighbours should have the last say on the redesign of their neighbourhoods. Hence, co-designing and co-creating the ideal ±15-Minute City with its inhabitants is crucial. The Flowers of Proximity (where everyone is empowered to sketch their ideal ±15-Minute City) have been proven to be an easy and fun way of starting this discussion. All opinions from old to young, from locals to migrants, from mobility-reduced and gender inclusive need to be acknowledged and taking into account.

Creating liveable, sustainable and resilient neighbourhoods should not be limited to the urban core, but might even more needed in the outskirts and rural areas. At the end it is not about 15-minutes, but about creating open and inclusive urban spaces for social interaction, while fulfilling citizens' needs.