Headline RoundupFebruary 24th, 2023

Would '15-Minute Cities' Improve Urban Life?

Summary from the AllSides News Team

How would "15-minute cities" alter urban life?

The Concept: Professor Carlos Moreno is credited with birthing the 15-minute city idea, which says that daily necessities and services, such as work, shopping, healthcare, and education, should be easily reached by a 15-minute walk or bike ride from any point in a city.  

A Good Idea: A writer for The Guardian said COVID-19 lockdowns "and the climate emergency have made many realise" that the 15-minute city trend "needs to accelerate," and that "cars should be managed to make their use less dominant. If that sacrifices the convenience of some, so be it." Some media outlets, including USA TODAY (Lean Left bias)  and International Business Times (Center bias), moved to debunk theories that the concept represents a government effort to restrict personal freedoms.

A Bad Idea: Writers for Reason and National Review (Right bias) both said that while the idea is good in theory, it requires too much oversight from purportedly incompetent governments. Reason's writer said the U.S. would likely have more walkable cities if there were "fewer zoning restrictions that cap densities and separate residential and commercial uses."

Unfeasible: One writer for The Financial Times highlighted logical limitations of the 15-minute city concept, and said it's "a mistake to think the 15-minute city could fix" urban quality of life issues, "as much as it’s an appeal to unreason to suggest it could take away our freedom."

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