What are ‘tiny cities’ – How do they relate to the future of humanity?

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The… 15-minute plan shared by O’Fallon, Illinois, and… Paris – What needs emerged during the pandemic lockdown

The town of O’Fallon in Illinois, a suburb of St. Louis, with a population of just 32,000, may have nothing to do with Paris, neither in appearance nor in population, but its goal is to become like the City of Light .

In comparison, the master plan tabled for the city’s growth over the next two decades is almost identical to the one Paris Mayor Ann Hidalgo tabled in 2020. The goal is simple… to make O’Fallon the 15-minute city .

The idea is relatively simple. Residents should have everything they need within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their home.

“Transforming O’Fallon into a 15-minute city will help make our lives more convenient, less stressful and more sustainable,” the plan states.

After all, Paris was the first city to “embrace” this idea three years ago.

The aim was to bring all the necessary businesses for a citizen close to his home. After all, this need became more evident during the lockdowns.

According to Moreno, a Sorbonne scholar who was also a source of inspiration for Parisians, the school would become the “capital of the neighborhood” and would remain open for sports and cultural activities at night and on weekends. The streets would be greener, cleaner and calmer. Cultural amenities, medical services, and government functions would be available in each neighborhood.

Preserving locality

“Forget grand projects. The new priority was the preservation of locality”, he had said.

As the Guardian reports, the “15-minute city” is an idea completely contrary to the mentality of Americans.

Specifically, in America there are also parks and supermarkets and hospitals and pizzerias, but among them there are also large tracts of land reserved exclusively for the reconstruction of apartment buildings.

But this plan seems to disappoint the residents of O’Fallon who, in surveys conducted, answered that what they want are areas for walking and cycling as well as easier access to shops and restaurants.

However, there are also those who do not find the “city of 15 minutes” a good idea.

“It’s hard to talk about the 15-minute city and have shopping, grocery stores, health care, because a lot of predominantly African-American neighborhoods don’t have those amenities,” said Andre Brumfield, head of urban planning at Gensler.

Besides, there is also the question of whether the 15-minute city is fundamentally at odds with urban interests. If the residents of prosperous cities stay in their neighborhood, their money will also stay in the suburbs.

moneyreview.gr

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