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Almost every way of asking citizens about the outcomes of "15-minute cities" both yields positive results, and is well known to align with positive outcomes in

Almost every way of asking citizens about the outcomes of "15-minute cities" both yields positive results, and is well known to align with positive outcomes in terms of happiness and community benefits. Unfortunately the pro-car and often sovereign-citizen aligned community, mostly in the US, latched on to this as a sign of reduced freedom, because cars are such a critical part of freedom identity in those groups. It's a shame to see our politicians giving this any time whatsoever, but it's unsurprising as it's necessary to maintain any semblance of support among a party that have not represented a majority for many years.

mytailorisrich 3y ago
Most local councils in the UK use "15-minute cities" to restrict cars and little else. That has unfortunately given a bad name to the concept because driving becomes more difficult but none of the places one wants to go to are getting any nearer or convenient to access.
- danpalmer 3y ago
  In my experience restricting cars typically means creating pedestrianised areas. These have been shown over the years to have significant benefits for shops, culture, etc in those areas. Sometimes the benefits do take a few years to come through, so when they do they aren't attributed to the lack of cars, which is a shame.
  - mytailorisrich 3y ago
    What they tend to do is actually to create "low traffic neighbourhoods", which effectively bans traffic just passing through, which is concentrated in fewer roads as a consequence. That does not do anything towards a "15-minute city", it just make people unhappy (if you live in a LTN who may obviously benefit from lower traffic in your street, though).
    - MattPalmer1086 3y ago
      We get lots of through traffic on our little residential road from drivers guided by apps. They do not stick to the speed limit either and roar past at 40mph in a 20moh zone. And pollute the air and create noise. As far as I'm concerned, LTNs for residential streets make a lot of sense.
    - adammarples 3y ago
      Just moved to a LTN in Haringey and it's a breath of fresh air, often literally. I can sleep at night without through traffic roaring, people cycle around happily, I love it.
      - mytailorisrich 3y ago
        You and the other commenter are only replying on the last parentheses of my comment. Of course it's good to have less traffic in your street! But does it help overall to bring about "15-minute cities" if nothing else is done? No.
        adammarples 3y ago
        No I don't think it does. I'm in London so within 15 minutes of me is an incredible amount of stuff due to the tube, rail and bus network. I think LTNs in London are a great idea regardless of whether they bring about "15 minute cities".
scaramanga 3y ago
They don't care about the policies. If you believe that any of these people are good faith actors or care about the benefits of policies then you haven't been paying attention for the last 13 years. This is pure politics. They know they're going to get smashed in the next election. They're just trying to get as many of their number to hang in there like barnacles. In order to do that they have to throw a bucket of chum to their base to get them up on their hind legs to do a little dance.

mytailorisrich 3y ago

Most local councils in the UK use "15-minute cities" to restrict cars and little else. That has unfortunately given a bad name to the concept because driving becomes more difficult but none of the places one wants to go to are getting any nearer or convenient to access.

danpalmer 3y ago
In my experience restricting cars typically means creating pedestrianised areas. These have been shown over the years to have significant benefits for shops, culture, etc in those areas. Sometimes the benefits do take a few years to come through, so when they do they aren't attributed to the lack of cars, which is a shame.
- mytailorisrich 3y ago
  What they tend to do is actually to create "low traffic neighbourhoods", which effectively bans traffic just passing through, which is concentrated in fewer roads as a consequence. That does not do anything towards a "15-minute city", it just make people unhappy (if you live in a LTN who may obviously benefit from lower traffic in your street, though).
  - MattPalmer1086 3y ago
    We get lots of through traffic on our little residential road from drivers guided by apps. They do not stick to the speed limit either and roar past at 40mph in a 20moh zone. And pollute the air and create noise. As far as I'm concerned, LTNs for residential streets make a lot of sense.
  - adammarples 3y ago
    Just moved to a LTN in Haringey and it's a breath of fresh air, often literally. I can sleep at night without through traffic roaring, people cycle around happily, I love it.
    - mytailorisrich 3y ago
      You and the other commenter are only replying on the last parentheses of my comment. Of course it's good to have less traffic in your street! But does it help overall to bring about "15-minute cities" if nothing else is done? No.
      - adammarples 3y ago
        No I don't think it does. I'm in London so within 15 minutes of me is an incredible amount of stuff due to the tube, rail and bus network. I think LTNs in London are a great idea regardless of whether they bring about "15 minute cities".

scaramanga 3y ago

They don't care about the policies. If you believe that any of these people are good faith actors or care about the benefits of policies then you haven't been paying attention for the last 13 years. This is pure politics. They know they're going to get smashed in the next election. They're just trying to get as many of their number to hang in there like barnacles. In order to do that they have to throw a bucket of chum to their base to get them up on their hind legs to do a little dance.