15 Minute city urban design project

1 Forward
2 Description
3 Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] Forward

Long commutes, traffic congestion, and polluted air have been a scourge on urban life for far too long. But what if we could make urban living less stressful and more sustainable? That’s the idea behind the 15 Minute City – a city where all essential destinations, such as schools, shops, offices, entertainment venues, and healthcare facilities, can be reached within a 15-minute walk, cycle, or public transit ride.
Affordable, accessible, and adaptable housing, fresh groceries, and other amenities are also key features of a 15 Minute City. Working from home or close to home can also help to reclaim our time, health, and well-being while fostering more inclusive communities. Several major cities, such as Paris, Melbourne, Detroit, Portland, and Ottawa, are already embracing similar concepts.
This competition encourages designers and planners to re-imagine urban landscapes as cleaner, safer, healthier, and more inclusive places to live. So, let’s get creative and make our cities more liveable !

[edit] Description

[edit] Land Use / Transportation Networks

The 15-minute city is envisioned as a thriving and self-contained urban neighbourhood that prioritises walkability, accessibility, and community participation. The design effortlessly mixes residential, business, recreational, and public areas within a small area, ensuring inhabitants have quick access to critical services and facilities without the need for long commutes or reliance on private automobiles. A central public plaza serves as a meeting area at the centre of this design, encouraging a feeling of community and social interaction. Surrounding the area are mixed-use buildings with ground floors housing local businesses, shops, and services, such as grocery stores, cafes, pharmacies, and small companies. Residential areas are deliberately incorporated throughout the neighbourhood, providing a variety of housing alternatives to suit a wide range of demographics and lifestyles. The design fosters social inclusion and a sense of belonging in anything from flats and townhouses to co-living spaces and family homes. The neighbourhood is crisscrossed by a network of tree-lined streets and well-designed pavements, encouraging walking and cycling as preferred forms of transit. Bicycle lanes, pedestrian-friendly walkways, and shared mobility choices promote active transportation while decreasing congestion and pollution.

[edit] Community / Social Networks

These areas encourage social interactions among users, which helps inhabitants feel a sense of community and work together and support one another. They foster social cohesiveness and lessen social isolation by offering chances for social engagement, community involvement, and idea exchange. Additionally, communal spaces frequently include green spaces, parks, and public gardens, which enhance the city's overall visual appeal as well as the air quality and urban biodiversity. These areas foster outdoor enjoyment, physical activity, and a connection to nature, all of which support better lifestyles and mental well-being. A sense of environmental stewardship and the promotion of sustainable practices may also be fostered through using community spaces as venues for educational programs, cultural events, and environmental awareness campaigns.

[edit] Sustainable Urban System / Smart City Technologies

It offers a useful area for leisure time activities, fostering physical health, well-being, and mental relaxation. The lush park provides a tranquil setting for leisure, picnics, and social meetings, acting as a natural oasis within the metropolitan setting.

The park and communal garden improve the city's visual attractiveness and foster a friendly attitude, which adds to its overall aesthetic appeal Additionally, they offer crucial ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, air purification, and the development of habitat for urban animals.

[edit] Smart Grid

A smart grid’s implementation in a city has several advantages, including effective electricity management, increased dependability, and fewer power outages. It makes it possible to include renewable energy sources, creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy mix while reducing the effects of climate change. Demand response programs, which offer real-time energy data and encourage energy saving, are another way that smart grids give users more power. Furthermore, they promote effective load management and charging infrastructure, which supports the expansion of electric cars. In general, smart grids improve urban sustainability, customer involvement, renewable energy integration, energy efficiency, and system stability.

[edit] Urban Farming

Local food production, increased food security, environmental sustainability, community involvement, a better urban microclimate, and economic prospects are just a few of the advantages of urban farming. It offers a workable option for encouraging resilient and sustainable food systems in urban settings.

[edit] Urban Tree Canopy

First off, trees reduce ambient temperatures and improve human comfort by offering shade and evaporative cooling, mitigating the urban heat island effect. By removing pollutants from the air and releasing oxygen, they help enhance air quality, creating safer and more hygienic cities. Urban trees also serve as organic storm-water management systems, capturing and absorbing precipitation, lowering runoff, and easing pressure on drainage systems.

[edit] Green Wall for commercial buildings

By filtering pollutants and particulates, green walls enhance air quality, making cities healthier and more aesthetically pleasing for both residents and tourists. Additionally, they serve as natural insulation, which lowers energy consumption by adding to thermal insulation and assisting in temperature control indoors. These effects can result in considerable energy savings and reduced

[edit] Community Garden

Access to locally grown, wholesome, and fresh vegetables is made possible through community gardens, which also promote food security and enhance inhabitants’ general health and well-being. Community gardens encourage a sense of belonging and social cohesiveness by bringing individuals from all backgrounds together to work together, exchange information, and form connections. These gardens can improve urban greening, enhance neighbuorhood aesthetics, reduce the impact of urban heat islands, and promote cleaner air.

[edit] Intelligence Water System

Cities may gain a lot from implementing intelligent water systems, including effective water management and conservation, real-time monitoring, and proactive water loss reduction strategies. These technologies improve monitoring and control of water quality while also ensuring equal access to clean water. They support environmental sustainability and the conservation of water resources by encouraging sustainable water practises. The resilience, dependability, and sustainability of urban water infrastructure are all improved by intelligent water systems, making cities more habitable and ecologically friendly.

[edit] Mixed-used / Business development

Mixed-use complexes improve overall quality of life by mixing residential, commercial, recreational, and institutional uses in close proximity and reducing the need for long commutes. Within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, residents may easily reach amenities including offices, parks, grocery stores, schools, and healthcare centres, easing traffic congestion and lowering carbon emissions. As individuals from all backgrounds and age groups use common areas and participate in activities together, mixed-use complexes also promote a feeling of community and social interaction. The well-being and convenience of locals are given priority in this urban development concept, which promotes sustainable practices, enhances accessibility, and develops lively, inclusive neighbourhoods.

The flow of products and services is made easier by improving accessibility for companies and customers via the optimisation of transportation infrastructure and connectivity. The connection between commercial districts and residential neighbourhoods is improved through well-designed transport networks, including highways, public transit systems, and infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. This facilitates effective commuting and expands the consumer base for companies.

Businesses may access online marketplaces, increase their consumer base, and take part in e-commerce operations thanks to this infrastructure. It makes it easier for people to communicate and work together effectively both inside the company and with clients or partners all around the world. Businesses may take use of modern technologies like cloud computing and data analytics with a high-speed broadband network to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and make wise choices.

Businesses may gain from more visitors by successfully marketing a city as a popular tourist destination, opening up new avenues for expansion and income production. By highlighting the city's distinctive features, cultural offers, and experiences, effective marketing campaigns may draw tourists to the area and encourage them to check out the local businesses. The demand for lodging, dining, transportation, and other hospitality-related enterprises may all be increased through destination marketing initiatives that draw business travellers, conferences, and events. Tourism and destination marketing initiatives may promote a favourable image for the city, improve brand recognition, and boost economic activity, supporting business growth and success for the community and its entrepreneurs.