A New App Helps Identify 15-Minute City

The new 15-Minute City App generates maps which show the number of services and activities within a 15 minute walk, and and therefore whether an area can be considered a 15-minute neighborhood.

1 minute read

October 19, 2020, 10:00 AM PDT

By Todd Litman


Vancouver, British Columbia

LeonWang / Shutterstock

A 15-min city, or “la ville du quart d’heure” refers to an urban neighborhood where all the essential needs can be accessed within a 15 minute walk or bike ride. This is a practical way to evaluate multi-modal accessibility, that is, the ease of living without a car, and therefore whether a neighborhood is affordable, equitable, healthy and resource-efficient.

The new 15-Minute City App generates maps for U.S. addresses which show the number of medical centers, grocery stores, cultural attractions, transit stops, education facilities and leisure spots that can be reached within a 15 or 20 minute walk, and therefore whether it can be considered to be in a 15-minute neighborhood.

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