The 15-minute city is inspired by the classic city as it appeared before the advent of car culture and its impact on urban planning. The aim is to create sustainable, vibrant and car-free neighbourhoods.
"It stems from a critique of the separation of different functions that began with the advent of mass car culture, which created longer distances between daily activities. Proximity to what you need in everyday life is crucial for being able to walk, cycle or use public transport," says Erik Elldér, Associate Professor of Human Geography at the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg.
200 Swedish cities
Erik Elldér researches urban development and mobility and has studied how proximity has developed in Swedish cities over 25 years. In his studies, he has compared the 200 largest urban areas and the extent to which they achieve the proximity dimension of the 15-minute city. He is particularly interested in everyday activities - residents' local supply of jobs, shops, education, healthcare and leisure activities - and how these are affected by urban development.
"It is not necessarily the size of the city that matters, but how it is built and planned, in terms of density, mixed functions and so on. Many smaller cities with older buildings, built before the car culture, are more likely to meet the criteria of a 15-minute city, such as Visby and Ystad," he says.
Attractive neighbourhoods
It is not only in Sweden that the concept has gained attention in recent years. In the aftermath of the pandemic, it has sparked global interest and inspired city planners from Barcelona to Bogotá. The vision is to live more locally and use what is available nearby. But while 15-minute cities are environmentally sustainable, there are problems.
“The type of neighbourhoods this creates become attractive, and housing prices often rise. This risks displacing economically weaker groups, both residents and businesses. Urban planners need to be aware of this," he says.
Is Gothenburg a 15-minute city?
“Yes, a relatively large proportion of the population has walking distance to the most important things in daily life. However, Gothenburg is divided and there are areas that are not, such as Torslanda. There are also places where people live densely but the wider range of services is not available, such as in several of the million programme suburbs," Erik Ellder says.
