The Rise of the 15-Minute City: Urban Planning and Mobility by 2035

16 min readSep 15, 2024

2004, RCLCO conducted a macro-level market analysis for the BeltLine Study Area as part of the due diligence for the creation of the BeltLine Tax Allocation District (TAD), a value capture mechanism to fund local infrastructure improvements.

As an intown resident of Atlanta, I’ve experienced firsthand the transformative power of urban planning. Thanks to the Atlanta Beltline, I can walk to three grocery stores, bike around most of the city, and stroll to vibrant shops, nightlife and restaurants.

Let’s explore how this idea is reshaping cities.

In their new white paper “The Future of Mobility 5.0,” global management consulting firm Arthur D. Little presents a comprehensive analysis of the evolving urban mobility landscape.

The report, which draws on extensive research and expert insights, explores innovative solutions to create more sustainable, resilient, and human-centric mobility systems. Among the key concepts examined is the “15-minute city,” a revolutionary urban planning model that promises to transform how we live, work, and move within our cities.

Rethinking Urban Mobility

In an era of rapid urbanization and growing environmental concerns, cities worldwide are grappling with challenges that seem insurmountable: traffic congestion, air pollution, social inequality, and the looming threat of climate change.

Eight solutions, which have been mapped against the five-dimensional framework we traditionally use at ADL to describe the key building blocks of a virtuous mobility system (see Figure 7)

Amidst this urban crisis, a revolutionary concept has emerged, promising to transform not just how we design our cities, but how we live, work, and move within them. This concept is the “15-minute city,” an idea that’s rapidly gaining traction among urban planners, policymakers, and citizens alike.

Popularized by French-Colombian scientist Carlos Moreno, the 15-minute city envisions an urban landscape where residents can access all their essential needs within a short walk or bike ride from their homes. It’s a vision that stands in stark contrast to the car-centric urban sprawl that has dominated city planning for decades.

As cities from Paris to Melbourne begin to embrace this model, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the 15-minute city could be the key to unlocking a more sustainable, livable, and equitable urban future.

But what exactly does a 15-minute city look like in practice? How does it reshape our understanding of urban mobility? And what challenges lie ahead in turning this vision into reality? This article delves into these questions, exploring how the 15-minute city concept is revolutionizing urban planning and mobility, and what it could mean for our cities by 2035.

The Fundamentals of the 15-Minute City

At its heart, the 15-minute city is built on a simple yet powerful idea: proximity. By bringing essential services and amenities closer to where people live, we can create more livable neighborhoods, reduce unnecessary travel, and foster stronger community bonds. But achieving this vision requires a fundamental rethinking of urban design and function.

Six Essential Social Functions

The 15-minute city aims to provide access to six essential social functions within a short distance of every resident’s home:

Living: Quality housing that meets diverse needs and preferences is the foundation of the 15-minute city. This doesn’t just mean apartments and houses, but a mix of housing types that can accommodate different family sizes, income levels, and lifestyle choices.
Working: In the age of digital connectivity, work doesn’t have to mean long commutes to centralized business districts. The 15-minute city promotes a mix of local employment opportunities and co-working spaces, allowing many residents to work close to home.
Supplying: Access to fresh food and daily necessities is crucial for any neighborhood. In a 15-minute city, local markets, grocery stores, and shops are within easy reach, reducing the need for car trips for everyday shopping.
Caring: Healthcare facilities and social services are distributed throughout the city, ensuring that residents can access medical care, childcare, and other essential services without long journeys.
Learning: Education is a lifelong pursuit in the 15-minute city. From primary schools to universities and community learning centers, opportunities for education and skill development are integrated into every neighborhood.
Enjoying: Quality of life is about more than just meeting basic needs. The 15-minute city incorporates cultural venues, leisure facilities, and green spaces into every neighborhood, ensuring that relaxation and recreation are always close at hand.

By ensuring these functions are within reach, the 15-minute city aims to improve quality of life, reduce unnecessary travel, and foster stronger community bonds. It’s a holistic approach to urban living that recognizes the interconnectedness of our daily activities and needs.

“an urban setup where locals can access all their essentials at distances that would not take them more than 15 minutes by foot or by bicycle.” The concept is based around six essential social functions and four key design pillars (see Figure 11).

Four Key Design Pillars

To achieve this vision, the 15-minute city relies on four key design pillars that work in concert to create vibrant, walkable neighborhoods:

Density: Compact urban development is crucial to bringing people and services closer together. This doesn’t necessarily mean high-rise living everywhere, but rather a thoughtful approach to urban density that can accommodate a mix of building types and uses.
Proximity: Strategic placement of essential services and amenities is at the heart of the 15-minute city. This requires careful urban planning to ensure that each neighborhood has the right mix of functions within easy reach.
Diversity: Mixed-use developments that combine residential, commercial, and recreational spaces are key to creating vibrant, self-sufficient neighborhoods. This diversity extends to the mix of people as well, with neighborhoods designed to accommodate residents of different ages, incomes, and backgrounds.
Digitalization: While the 15-minute city emphasizes physical proximity, it also leverages technology to enhance urban services and connectivity. Digital platforms can help optimize city services, provide real-time information to residents, and enable new forms of shared mobility.

These pillars don’t exist in isolation but work together to create a cohesive urban fabric. For example, increased density makes it economically viable to provide a diverse range of services within each neighborhood, while digital tools can help residents navigate their local area and access services more efficiently.

Case Studies — Paris, Barcelona & Atlanta

The 15-minute city is not just a theoretical concept — it’s already being implemented in various forms around the world. Let’s look at some notable examples:

“Ville du quart d’heure” — the quarter-hour city

Paris: The Pioneer of the “Ville du Quart d’Heure”

Under Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris has become a global leader in implementing the 15-minute city concept. The city has taken bold steps to reclaim street space from cars, creating an extensive network of cycle lanes and pedestrianized areas. Local squares are being transformed into community spaces, and schools are being opened up outside of class hours to serve as community centers.

The results have been impressive: bicycle use increased by 54% in 2019 alone, and car trips in the city decreased by 5% between 2010 and 2020. The city’s approach demonstrates how political will and comprehensive planning can drive rapid change in urban mobility patterns.

Aerial view above of Barcelona superblocks, Spain.
Image Copyright: Westend61 / Amazing Aerial

Barcelona: Superblocks and Urban Transformation

Barcelona’s “superblocks” initiative is another innovative approach to creating more livable urban spaces. These superblocks are groups of city blocks where traffic is restricted, and public space is reclaimed for community use. Within the superblocks, priority is given to pedestrians and cyclists, with cars limited to essential access only.

This approach has led to significant improvements in air quality and noise levels within the superblocks, as well as increased social interaction and local economic activity. It’s a powerful example of how rethinking urban space allocation can support the goals of the 15-minute city.

Atlanta: The BeltLine Project — Transforming Urban Connectivity

The Atlanta BeltLine project offers a compelling example of how large-scale urban redevelopment can align with and support the principles of the 15-minute city concept. While not explicitly designed as a 15-minute city initiative, the BeltLine’s impact on Atlanta’s urban fabric demonstrates how thoughtful infrastructure projects can transform city living.

At its core, the Atlanta BeltLine is an ambitious plan to connect 45 intown neighborhoods through a 22-mile loop of multi-use trails, parks, and eventually light rail transit. This massive undertaking repurposes former railway corridors, transforming underutilized spaces into valuable community assets — a strategy often employed in 15-minute city planning.

The project’s multi-modal approach to transportation is particularly noteworthy. With 33 miles of multi-use urban trails for walking and cycling, and plans for 22 miles of modern streetcar/light rail transit, the BeltLine significantly reduces car dependency and promotes alternative transportation options. This aligns closely with the 15-minute city goal of making sustainable mobility the preferred choice for short trips.

But the BeltLine is more than just a transportation corridor. It’s a catalyst for mixed-use development along its path, encouraging a blend of residential areas, commercial spaces, parks, and cultural amenities. This diversity of uses allows residents to access a variety of services and activities within a short distance — a key feature of the 15-minute city concept.

The project’s commitment to green spaces is equally impressive. With plans to develop 1,300 acres of new or renovated public open space, the BeltLine is creating accessible recreational areas throughout the city. This not only improves quality of life for residents but also contributes to the city’s environmental sustainability.

From an economic perspective, the BeltLine is a powerhouse. It’s expected to create 48,000 to 50,000 permanent jobs and spur significant economic development in surrounding areas. This aligns with the 15-minute city concept of providing employment opportunities close to residential areas, potentially reducing commute times and enhancing work-life balance.

Importantly, the project also addresses issues of affordability and inclusivity. With a goal of creating or preserving 5,600 affordable housing units, the BeltLine strives to ensure that the benefits of urban renewal are accessible to a diverse range of residents. This focus on housing diversity is crucial for the 15-minute city concept, which aims to create inclusive neighborhoods where people of various socioeconomic backgrounds can coexist and thrive.

HOW ARE YOU!?! *Mural For The BeltLine East Side Trail / Atlanta, GA — c.2012*

The cultural and social impacts of the BeltLine are equally significant. The project has become a platform for cultural events and public art installations, fostering community engagement and social interaction. This vibrant, community-centered approach aligns perfectly with the 15-minute city’s emphasis on creating livable, socially connected neighborhoods.

While the Atlanta BeltLine may not have been conceived explicitly as a 15-minute city project, its impacts closely mirror many of the concept’s key principles. By improving connectivity, promoting sustainable transportation, encouraging mixed-use development, and fostering community engagement, the BeltLine is helping to create a more accessible, livable, and sustainable Atlanta. As such, it serves as an inspiring example of how large-scale urban infrastructure projects can support the transition towards a 15-minute city model, even in car-centric North American cities.

These diverse examples show that the 15-minute city concept can be adapted to different urban contexts and cultures, offering a flexible framework for creating more sustainable and livable cities.

How the 15-Minute City Transforms Urban Mobility

The 15-minute city concept doesn’t just reshape urban form — it fundamentally transforms how people move within cities. By bringing essential services closer to where people live, this model naturally reduces the need for long-distance travel, particularly by car. This shift has profound implications for urban mobility systems and the very nature of city life.

Reducing the Need for Long-Distance Travel

In a well-designed 15-minute city, daily necessities are just a short walk or bike ride away. This proximity eliminates many trips that would traditionally require a car, such as grocery shopping, visiting the doctor, or going to work. As a result, the overall demand for motorized transportation decreases, leading to less traffic congestion and lower emissions.

This reduction in travel need doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of careful urban planning that considers the placement of services, the mix of land uses, and the design of public spaces. For example, by integrating small office spaces or co-working hubs into residential areas, the 15-minute city can significantly reduce commuting distances for many workers.

The impact of this shift can be profound. Cities that have implemented elements of the 15-minute city concept have seen significant reductions in car use. For instance, in Paris, which has been at the forefront of this movement, car trips decreased by 5% between 2010 and 2020, while cycling increased by 54% in just one year from 2018 to 2019.

Promoting Active Mobility

With essential destinations nearby, walking and cycling become not just viable but often preferable options for many trips. The 15-minute city design prioritizes pedestrian-friendly streets and dedicated cycling infrastructure, making active mobility safer and more appealing.

This shift towards active transportation not only reduces environmental impact but also promotes public health through increased physical activity. Studies have shown that people who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to meet physical activity recommendations and have lower rates of obesity and chronic diseases.

Moreover, the emphasis on active mobility can transform the very nature of urban spaces. Streets designed for pedestrians and cyclists tend to be more vibrant, social spaces. They encourage chance encounters between neighbors, support local businesses, and create a stronger sense of community — all key goals of the 15-minute city concept.

Integrating with Public Transport Systems

While the 15-minute city reduces the need for many trips, it doesn’t eliminate the need for longer journeys entirely. Here, the concept integrates seamlessly with public transport systems. By creating dense, mixed-use neighborhoods around transit hubs, the 15-minute city model supports transit-oriented development.

This approach ensures that when residents do need to travel further, efficient public transport options are readily available, further reducing car dependency. The integration goes beyond just proximity to transit stops. In a well-designed 15-minute city, public transport is seamlessly integrated with other mobility options. For example, bike-sharing stations might be located near bus stops or train stations, allowing for easy multimodal journeys.

The transformation of urban mobility in the 15-minute city goes beyond just changing how we travel. It represents a fundamental shift in urban lifestyle, one that prioritizes local community, sustainability, and quality of life. As we’ll explore in the following sections, this concept aligns closely with other emerging trends in urban mobility, from new shared mobility services to advanced Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platforms.

We must conclude that up to now, MaaS has not delivered on its promise. In terms of the Gartner hype curve, with less than 5% of the potential audience for MaaS adopting it, we are probably close to the “Trough of Disillusionment” (see Figure 16)

The Evolution of MaaS in the 15-Minute City Context

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) — the integration of various forms of transport services into a single mobility service accessible on demand — is often seen as a key enabler of sustainable urban mobility. However, in the context of the 15-minute city, the role and nature of MaaS need to evolve.

Limitations of Current MaaS Models

Many current MaaS platforms focus primarily on providing a unified booking and payment system for different transport modes. While this is valuable, it doesn’t fully address the needs of a 15-minute city, where the emphasis is on reducing the need for motorized travel altogether.

Moreover, most MaaS systems to date have struggled to achieve profitability and widespread adoption, often failing to deliver on the promise of significant modal shift away from private cars.

Figure 18. ADL MaaS 360° review framework

MaaS 2.0: Integrating with the 15-minute City Concept

In the context of a 15-minute city, MaaS needs to evolve beyond just facilitating trips. It should become a tool for optimizing urban mobility as a whole, encouraging the use of local services and active travel where possible, and seamlessly integrating longer trips when necessary.

This evolved form of MaaS — let’s call it MaaS 2.0 (PDF) — might include features such as:

Hyperlocal information: Providing detailed information about local services and amenities to encourage their use.
Active travel prioritization: Suggesting walking or cycling options as the default for short trips.
Time-shifting incentives: Offering rewards for traveling at off-peak times or using less congested routes.
Integration with non-transport services: For example, allowing users to book a workspace at a local co-working hub through the same platform they use for travel.

How Advanced MaaS Can Enhance the 15-minute City Experience

By evolving in this way, MaaS can become a powerful tool for enhancing the 15-minute city experience. It can help residents make the most of their local area, discover new services and amenities, and make more sustainable travel choices.

Moreover, the data generated by such a system can provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, helping them to continually refine and improve the 15-minute city model. This creates a virtuous cycle where better data leads to better planning, which in turn enhances the user experience and encourages greater use of sustainable mobility options.

Challenges and Criticisms

While the 15-minute city concept offers many potential benefits, it’s not without its challenges and critics. Understanding these issues is crucial for successful implementation.

Implementation Difficulties in Existing Urban Areas

One of the biggest challenges is adapting existing urban areas, especially those designed around car use, to the 15-minute city model. Retrofitting neighborhoods with new services and amenities, creating pedestrian-friendly streets, and changing land-use patterns can be expensive and time-consuming.

Moreover, resistance from residents accustomed to car-centric lifestyles can be a significant barrier. Overcoming these challenges requires not just physical changes, but also shifts in culture and behavior.

Figure 24. Schematic mobility funding flows

Addressing Concerns about Social Segregation and Gentrification

Critics have raised concerns that the 15-minute city could lead to increased social segregation, with wealthier neighborhoods becoming self-contained enclaves. There’s also a risk that improvements in walkability and local amenities could drive up property prices, leading to gentrification and displacement of long-term residents.

Addressing these issues requires careful planning and policy interventions, such as inclusionary zoning and affordable housing mandates, to ensure that 15-minute cities remain diverse and inclusive.

Balancing Digital and Physical Realms

While digital connectivity is a key pillar of the 15-minute city, there’s a need to balance this with the physical aspects of urban life. Over-reliance on digital solutions could potentially reduce face-to-face interactions and community cohesion — the very things the 15-minute city aims to promote.

Finding the right balance between digital convenience and physical community engagement is a key challenge for planners and policymakers.

The Future: 15-Minute Cities by 2035

Looking ahead to 2035, the widespread adoption of the 15-minute city concept could dramatically reshape urban life:

Potential Impacts on Urban Life, Work, and Social Interaction

By 2035, we might see cities where the majority of daily needs can be met within a short walk or bike ride. This could lead to:

More balanced work-life integration: With reduced commute times, people might have more time for family, hobbies, and community engagement.
Stronger local communities: Increased interactions with neighbors and local businesses could foster a stronger sense of community and social cohesion.
Diversified urban landscapes: Each neighborhood could develop its own unique character, with a mix of local businesses, cultural venues, and community spaces.

Environmental and Health Benefits

The 15-minute city model could contribute significantly to environmental and health improvements:

Reduced carbon emissions: With fewer car trips, cities could see substantial reductions in transportation-related emissions.
Improved air quality: Less traffic could lead to cleaner air, reducing respiratory health issues.
Increased physical activity: More walking and cycling could lead to improved overall health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.
Enhanced urban biodiversity: With more green spaces integrated into neighborhoods, cities could see increases in urban wildlife and plant diversity.

Economic Implications

The economic landscape of cities could also shift dramatically:

Thriving local economies: Small businesses could flourish with increased foot traffic and community support.
Reduced infrastructure costs: Cities might see savings on road maintenance and parking infrastructure.
Increased property values: Walkable neighborhoods tend to command higher property values, potentially increasing city tax revenues.
New job opportunities: The focus on local services could create new job opportunities within neighborhoods.

Figure 29. Overall impact of key solutions on sustainable mobility modal share

The 15-minute city as a key driver for sustainable urban mobility

The 15-minute city concept represents more than just a urban planning trend — it’s a fundamental rethinking of how we live in and move through our cities. By bringing essential services closer to where people live and prioritizing sustainable mobility options, this model has the potential to address many of the challenges facing our cities today, from climate change to social isolation.

The importance of integrated planning and policy-making

Realizing the vision of 15-minute cities requires a holistic approach. Urban planners, policymakers, transportation experts, and community leaders need to work together to create integrated solutions. This means aligning land-use policies, transportation planning, economic development strategies, and community engagement efforts towards the common goal of creating more livable, sustainable cities.

Call to action for urban planners, policymakers, and citizens

The transition to 15-minute cities won’t happen overnight, nor will it be without challenges. However, the potential benefits — for our health, our communities, our economies, and our planet — make it a goal worth pursuing. For urban planners and policymakers, this means being bold in reimagining our cities and implementing policies that support the 15-minute city vision. For citizens, it means being open to new ways of living and moving, and actively participating in shaping the future of our neighborhoods.

As we look towards 2035 and beyond, the 15-minute city offers a compelling vision of urban life — one that is more sustainable, more equitable, and more human-centered. By embracing this concept and working together to implement it, we have the opportunity to create cities that not only meet our needs but enhance our quality of life and protect our planet for future generations.

The journey to the 15-minute city is already underway in cities around the world, from Paris to Melbourne, from Barcelona to Atlanta. Each city’s path will be unique, shaped by its own geography, culture, and challenges. But the destination — a more livable, sustainable urban future — is one we can all strive towards.