The cities of the future are a reality that is becoming more and more tangible. Technological progress, the need for sustainability and the demand for well-being and quality of life have made cities rethink their model and project themselves towards a more sustainable and intelligent future. One of the most interesting trends that is emerging is the 15-minute Cities, a new city model that seeks to reduce commuting and promote a healthier and more sustainable life.
What are 15 minute Cities? The 15-minute Cities are a new way of understanding and restructuring the city as we know it today. The concept, which was born in France in 2015, seeks to create cities where everything is within the reach of citizens within a 15-minute walk or bicycle radius. That is, that homes, services, work, education and leisure are located within a radius of 1.5 kilometres.
This city model promotes community life, reduced travel, sustainability and quality of life. 15-Minute Cities have become a solution for many cities seeking to reduce traffic, pollution, and travel times. There are already amazing projects that are designed under this concept, one is the impressive The Line.
The Line is a city project that is being developed in Saudi Arabia. It is a 170-kilometre City that has been designed following the 15-minute Cities model. The Line will be a car-free, zero-carbon city, powered by renewable energy and equipped with smart technology. It is designed for the quality of life of its inhabitants. The homes will be designed to promote community life and will be located in a natural environment, surrounded by parks and green spaces. The Line will also have health, education and leisure services, all of them located less than 15 minutes away on foot or by bicycle.
But The Line is not the only 15-minute City being built in the world. In Europe, many cities are adapting their neighborhoods to this city model. In Paris, for example, the Reinventer Paris project is being developed, which seeks to reuse abandoned spaces in the city to create sustainable neighborhoods equipped with all the necessary services.
In Barcelona, the Superilla project is being developed, which seeks to transform the city into a network of superblocks in which traffic is reduced and community life is encouraged. In the city of Vitoria, the Green Capital project is being developed, which seeks to reduce traffic and pollution and encourage the use of bicycles.
15-minute Cities are a reality that is increasingly present in our cities. A city model that seeks sustainability, quality of life and the well-being of its inhabitants. The city of the future is a city in which everything is within the reach of citizens and in which community life is the central axis. What ideas would you contribute for a city of the future? Would you live in any of the ones we have named?
Written by: Socialneed Team
Images created in Midjourney & DALL-E 2