The 15-minute neighborhood

Developed by Carlos Moreno, the “15-minute neighborhood” is a planning

concept characterized by the ability to access people’s basic necessities 15 minutes of
walking, biking, or public transit. Regardless of age, sociocultural background, or
financial ability, everyone is entitled to the ease of access their daily needs such as
housing, work, food, health, education, culture, and leisure.
It creates a compact, interconnected, and self-sufficient urban communities that
prioritizes the pedestrian realm rather than car hegemony. Some of its benefits are a
healthier and better quality of life, environmental sustainability, and placemaking. It also
boosts the local economy through creating opportunities for a more equitable and
inclusive community.

New Urbanism
According to the Congress of New Urbanism (n.d.), it refers to a planning and
development approach focusing on human-scaled design characterized by walkable
streets and blocks, housing and shopping within walking distance, and accessible public
spaces.
New Urbanism centralized on four (4) key ideas. First, the community should be
walkable and has access to basic good or services without necessity to use a vehicle.
Another concept is detachment from use of cars through placing parking areas behind
home or on-street parking and emphasis on the pedestrian realm. Next, the structures
should mix scale, style, economic value, and function for a more diverse community.
Lastly, a New Urbanist city emphasize on community-building and placemaking through
parks, public centers, open spaces (Briney, 2021).
The key elements of New Urbanism consist of the neighborhood, the district, and
the corridor. The neighborhood should be pedestrian-centered and mix-use while
districts emphasize a special function. The corridors in the form of boulevards,
parkways, streets, and others connect these so the residents’ daily activities occur
within walking distance (Briney, 2021).
 References
Congress for New Urbanism (n.d.). The charter of the New Urbanism. Retrieved
January 21, 2022, from https://www.cnu.org/who-we-are/charter-new-urbanism
Briney, Amanda. (2021, December 6). New Urbanism. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/new-urbanism-urban-planning-design-movement-
1435790
The Obel Award (n.d.). 15-Minute City At A Glance. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from
https://obelaward.org/the-15-minute-city/