The prototype of the idea of "15-minute cities" appeared in the 1920s. American planner Clarence Perry worked on the master plan for New York and proposed the idea of a "pedestrian zone". It was a 400-meter zone that could be walked around in up to 10 minutes. Perry's idea contained several important points: The number of residents of the quarter had to be commensurate with the number of students per school (4800-9000 people for a school with 800-1500 places) Availability of a system of parks and recreation areas The presence of a school, medical institutions, local governments Inside the block - only local roads, main roads - outside In our time, the Perry model was taken as a basis by Dueny and Plater-Zyberk - in their book Lexicon of New Urbanism, they worked in detail and described the models of 5-, 15- and 20-minute cities.
Does it really work? Yes, there are a number of successful large cities that have incorporated this concept into their city plan.
San Francisco. In the early 2000s, the authorities actively set about creating new public places and park areas - and since 2017, you can walk from any residential building in the city to the nearest park in a maximum of 10 minutes.
Vancouver. The Canadian city is one of the world leaders in terms of urban development. The entire territory is divided into 120 blocks, the radius is 5 minutes walk. In the center of each block there is an intersection with already developed retail (children's center, bakery, insurance company, flower shop, and so on). There is a school in every block.
Paris. The French capital is an example of a city that is changing right now. The authorities want to implement the concept of 15 minutes with quick access to the main city facilities. This is done, among other things, as a way of transferring citizens from transport to bicycles and going for walks. The test transition to the new concept will begin in the central districts of the city - due to their compact size.