The 15 minute town

[pinkytoe]

I have been reading lately about the concept of the 15 minute town wherein one can conduct all of their life activities within a 15 minute geographic area. The concept has also fallen to conspiracy theorists to make more out of it but anyway, I realized that in our current house here in CO and the last one in TX, I was within a 15 minutes walk or bike ride of just about everything, including work. Like villages within big cities. As I prepare to walk to my doctor's appointment, it makes me realize how simplifying ones location is (I hate traffic) unless you just enjoy driving everywhere and/or being out in the sticks.

[catherine]

I love the village idea, and I think I always have. Even as a child, one of the things I loved about the town my great-aunt's cottage was in was that it was two sides of a short Main Street, but it had everything we needed--library, post office, grocer, butcher, baker, pharmacy, movie theater, bookstore, etc. I remember thinking that it was the perfect place to live.

I think if villages took off in terms of a trend, it would take the pressure off of large urban areas and make people more self-sufficient. Of course, the suburbs were probably supposed to be like villages, but too many of them are way too spread out and focused on self-contained residential neighborhoods. When I lived in NJ, I still had to drive around to get to everything I needed. Suburbs are generally not well designed from an efficiency and lifestyle perspective. They are often just bedroom communities for commuters to big cities.

Other villages I've lived in and loved were Tarrytown, NY and Ocean Grove, NJ. I would even argue that my current location while rural, still has much of everything I need within a 15 minute drive. If that could be a 15 minute walk it would be perfect.

[Yppej]

I would like this when I retire because I imagine a time will come when I can no longer drive.

[rosarugosa]

One of the things I love about where I live (as someone who hates to drive) is that I'm within easy walking distance of the library, my dentist, my hairdresser, town hall, and a couple of lovely recreational walking destinations. We are within a 15 - 30 minute drive of almost everything else. It would probably all be within 15 minutes if not for traffic, but alas, traffic is a fact around here.

[happystuff]

I love the idea of a 15 minute walk to all those places. Where I live now, I do have a 15 minute or less drive to them, including work. Even several stores, the library, etc are within walking distance but more like 1/2 hour or more - still a nice walk on a nice day. Crossing heavily traveled roads/highways limits some walk, however.

I could definitely see us downsizing to an area with more stuff within walking distance. Finding such a place I think is going to be a challenge.

[iris lilies]

Theoretically I live in a 15 minute town but I wont be walking much due to Hills. Big hills.

My old city neighborhood was more walkable, for groceries, pharmacy, and certainly was a 15 minute drive for most services.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I don't think it works well given other social structures. Like some things, maybe it's possible to have a 15 minute grocery store, library, hardware store (I've often had these) and so on. But work, uh oh WERK, jawbs ... uh oh, the need to earn money working.

The reality is people don't stay at jobs for 40 or even 20 years, they change jobs a fair amount. So let's say they change jobs every 5 years. Is the plan that they then move ever 5 years so that they can live near work? Lots of reasons not to, ok moving is work but that's obviously not the main thing. How does this work if one has a mortgage, resell every 5 years? Keep taking out 30 year mortgages for places you sell in 5 years? If we want renting to be the default more social structures need to change because American society isn't really set up for that. And even renters can have lesser incentives not to move (moving tending to mean higher rent with or without rent control - ok that becomes a discussion of housing see what I mean other social structures). But people should just find jobs within 15 minutes of where they work? Oh wouldn't that be nice. The reality is the more specialized the job the less options, thus the need to be open to options further away. Well then everyone should get completely unspecialized jobs. Really? Although there is a downside to being *too* specialized, specialized jobs tend to be more often the one's that pay enough to have a decent life. Uh oh those larger social structures again. So maybe work from home does more good for some of those jobs than any 15 minute city ideas ever will.

[bae]

From my house it is ~6 mins by car to the village, or ~7 minutes by bicycle. It's a bit longer time to get back home by bicycle though, due to the 1200 ft. elevation change :-)

In a rural area like this, with very hilly terrain, you either need a car, or a lot of time and fitness. Electric-assist bikes can help, but some of the hills are quite challenging even with the assist.

If we banned autos here, like Mackinac Island, there would be other viable options, but I fear much of the place is still too steep for a horse/buggy.

[SiouzQ.]

My little New Mexican village is about a ten minute village. My walk to work is four minutes down a dirt road and walking path, then a narrow rickety wooden bridge over the arroyo and past a flock of beautiful chickens and out onto Main St. to the gallery. We have a general store where one could buy enough groceries to make it through the week, but they are a bit expensive. We also now have a tiny new Village Green Grocer where you can buy fresh greens and good meat. Again, great stuff, but can get expensive. We have two restaurants/bars, and our own community radio station (I just came back from the radio station's housewarming party celebrating their new permanent location in town - if you are interested, tune into KMRD-LP and stream online. It's really great radio, all volunteer run)! Our post office and Health Clinic are three miles up the road in the next village, which also has a really good restaurant and general store/gallery. There is also lots of art and artists around, plus musicians and live music every weekend.

Having grown up in suburban tract housing where one needed a car to do anything, living like this is really amazing!

So, yes, one could live here and not have a car, but you would still eventually need transportation to the big city for other services. I end up going to Santa Fe at least two times a week and Albuquerque about once every two or three weeks for various things.

[iris lilies]

Suzie Q, for some reason I thought you had to drive into Santa Fe to work your gallery job. Well, I’m glad you’re not making that long track then.

[SiouzQ.]

It doesn't make sense to drive the 30 minutes into Santa Fe for a low-paying retail job with the cost of gas these days. At least it is starting to pick up a little around here, and I'll be able to make more on commission. I'm adding a third day at the gallery starting in May. It's still really hard to sit on my butt on the hard wooden chair for 7 hours a day there, but it is what it is. I have committed to doing it. I'll work on bringing stuff to do during the down-times. At least it is getting nice outside and I can sit in the yard and listen to the beautiful fountains I sell and watch the birds and work on just *being present*, I guess.

[early morning]

I have thought a lot about where I would live if I had to move to town. I would like somewhere with either great transportation infrastructure and plenty of cultural places and activities, or a small town/village that actually had needed services in walking distance - your 15 minute town. It's fun to dream, but I only see this happening if I would have to give up driving - g-d forbid!!- and could still walk and talk, lol. Overall, I'm pretty dedicated to being a country old lady. And as finances are a major issue, the above options will probably not materialize.

[Tradd]

When I lived in Chicago, a lot of stuff was pretty close together. You might have to go a greater distance for things like medical appts, but it was very nice having stuff close. However, with my knee/sciatica issues, that’s not even something I think about these days. I’m not walking anywhere. My shopping is very close (within a 5 min drive). I make a habit of medical providers being close to either home or work, if possible.

[Teacher Terry]

Where I live I can drive to everything I need in 15 minutes and walk to a few stores. I use anywhere between a half to a full tank of gas monthly.

[Teacher Terry]

Tradd, are you thinking about getting a knee replacement? A friend of mine got one at 38 and it was still working fine when he died at 71.

[Tradd]

Tradd, are you thinking about getting a knee replacement? A friend of mine got one at 38 and it was still working fine when he died at 71.

No doc will be cutting on my knees at all. I live alone and have no help. I’ve lost about 9lbs on WW and my right knee, which has been hurting more, feels better.

[Teacher Terry]

That’s great news that weight loss is helping. You have to have bone on bone before a doctor will do it and maybe by that time they will have a solution that doesn’t involve surgery. I think one thing being worked on is stem cell replacements. Actually more than one of my single friends much older had it and were able to come home and take care of themselves. It’s not as invasive as it used to be.

[early morning]

Back to the 15 minute walk concept:

"A member of Britain’s Parliament said that 15-minute cities were “an international socialist concept” that would “cost us our personal freedoms.” QAnon supporters said the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals in Ohio was an intentional move meant to push rural residents into 15-minute cities."

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/28/technology/carlos-moreno-15-minute-cities-conspiracy-theories.html?

If there's a paywall, I'm sorry - this may work - different article:
https://www.dezeen.com/2023/03/14/carlos-moreno-interview-15-minute-city-creator/

There is seemingly no end to the idiocy some people will believe or the conspiracy shi! they will stir up just to cause controversy.

[HappyHiker]

In our move from the West coast big city life of freeways to life in an East coast village, we sought out having just about all our needs within a walk or bike ride.

It's pretty delightful, truth told. Relaxing.

If we need stuff from a big box store, it's a 15 minute drive away. But as we rarely need such stuff, and with ordering online, that drive is not made very often.

We have five bikes between the two of us--for different uses. Bought each one used and are very happy with them...

[San Onofre Guy]

I have all that I need including world famous comedy club, theater, movies, great restaurants, grocery, doctors, homeless, druggies and light rail system all within a ten minute walk. We moved here due to convenience. We plan on aging in place.