Reader in Architecture and Cities Dr Enrica Papa and Senior Lecturer Dr Mengqiu Cao have co-authored a report titled Mapping of 15-Minute City Practices which was launched in a webinar organised by Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) on 15 March. The event reached close to 400 people from 51 countries and every continent.
The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept focused on creating environments where residents can access key amenities, services and daily necessities by travelling no more than 15 minutes on foot, bike or public transit. DUT, a European intergovernmental research and innovation partnership programme focusing on key challenges to urban transitions, observed that while the concept has generated interest, there was not yet defined policies for implementation or operational logic.
To address this gap, DUT commissioned experts from the University of Westminster, Technical University Munich and the University of Porto to collect data and analyse this concept. The resulting publication highlights over 100 cities and their practices connected to15-minute policies from personal mobility to urban planning, logistics and urban governance.
Dr Enrica Papa led the research team and specifically the activity on the deep dive analysis on six cases studies, while Dr Cao conducted interviews and analysed the data collected for two case studies in the UK.
Dr Enrica Papa said: “The 15-minute city concept is revolutionary in reshaping urban environments to be more sustainable and livable. Through our analysis, we have identified key strategies and practices that can be adapted to diverse urban contexts, helping cities to meet sustainability goals and improve residents' quality of life.”
This report directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
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