A New App Helps Identify 15-Minute City

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.

Real estate agents and developers pay attention: consumer preference surveys indicate that most households want to live in walkable neighborhoods, resulting in a shortage of such housing. Let's build lots more!