15 minute cities

[I'm With Stupid]

I get the impression that after the anti-lockdown, anti-vax fuckwits were proved laughably wrong, they needed something new to turn their attention to, and this was the first thing they came across.

I doubt it, because they all still think they were right.

I love watching Youtube channels about urban planning and this problem is definitely more of a North American thing. When I went to visit my sister in the suburbs in Canada, I was shocked that you literally couldn't go anywhere without a car. As I understand it, it's all down to ridiculous zoning laws, where what you're allowed to have in different areas is strictly regulated, so if you've got a residential area, you're not allowed to have shops. Even worse, unlike Europe where there are restrictions on parking, they actually enforce a minimum level of parking if you want to have a commercial property in many places. So you end up with places where you literally can't walk to the shops.

In the UK, there are similar problems, but it's happened a bit more organically. I live in a city of nearly 8 million people in Malaysia, yet my parents' town of around 70,000 people in the UK has at least 3 supermarkets that are bigger than the biggest ones I've seen here. It's partly down to habits. Buy bulk once every two weeks and then shove it in the freezer, whereas over here, I buy food on the day I cook it 9 times out of 10 because the supermarket, which is no bigger than a Tesco Express, is next to my house. Don't get me wrong, thousands still spend hours in traffic every day, but that's because like most big cities, the centre becomes so expensive that it prices everyone out, but they still put all of the businesses there. Back home the high street is on its arse and yet they still keep opening car-friendly retail parks in the belief that it'll create jobs, rather than just transfer existing jobs away from the pedestrian-friendly town centre. It means everyone spends more time in their car, clogs up the roads, gets unhealthier, and generally resents their life.

I recommend this channel to anyone interested in urban planning stuff. A Canadian who moved to the Netherlands.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Why would you be trapped there?

Have you not the read the thread?

There's no expectation that you have to use the local services within your area, if you prefer to use alternative shops, gym or leisure facilities you would still be able to do so.

For public services we already have catchment zones for GP practices, schools, polling stations etc.

The irony is that this is what happens already in some American cities by building everything around the needs of motorists. People who can't afford a car have to rely on unreliable, infrequent and expensive public transport to leave their area.

 

[M16 citeh]

If you live in a dump of an area you would be trapped there? It sounds like a nice way for well to do people to keep the riff raff out.

It's a no from me.

That's a fair point but some amount of social rebalancing would need to take place for any policy like this to be successful!

 

[I'm With Stupid]

That's a fair point but some amount of social rebalancing would need to take place for any policy like this to be successful!

I don't really see how it would work. Most of London is already like this, and yet everyone still has to commute massive distances because they can't afford to live where the jobs are. Unless you can somehow convince all of the employers to locate outside of the city centre, how would it work?

 

[Manc in London]

I caught a bit about this on Radio 4. There was some nutter on who was saying it’s a conspiracy to prevent freedom of movement and keep us as slaves within our houses, and is to replace lockdown.

There are some strange people in this world. Not news, I know.

 

[mexico1970]

Why would you be trapped there?

Have you not the read the thread?

There's no expectation that you have to use the local services within your area, if you prefer to use alternative shops, gym or leisure facilities you would still be able to do so.

For public services we already have catchment zones for GP practices, schools, polling stations etc.

My point would still be, what's the point?

 

[Manc in London]

For public services we already have catchment zones for GP practices, schools, polling stations etc.

Libraries too. Maybe there is a conspiracy in which the new and better books are only available in the nicer areas ;)

I cannot understand why some would not want important amenities in their local area. If anything, it is about ensuring you don't have concentrations of amenities in one area and not others.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

My point would still be, what's the point?

Of town planning?

To avoid unnecessary time spent travelling in between places.

 

[Manc in London]

I don't really see how it would work. Most of London is already like this, and yet everyone still has to commute massive distances because they can't afford to live where the jobs are. Unless you can somehow convince all of the employers to locate outside of the city centre, how would it work?

It's about encouraging businesses to different areas, so they are not just concentrated in one part of the city, and taking into account, for example, office space and retail units when regenerating an area or planning significant housebuilding programs.

It's not about 'you must live within a short walk or bike ride of where you work'. It's a more holistic approach to planning.

 

[City Hobgoblin]

Noted that those 2 Rag losers from Right Said Fred were behind the Oxford protests