The 15-minute path to more livable cities
Cities must continually evolve to meet the changing needs of their communities. One factor is how our cities are designed.
With many of our urban centers prioritizing vehicles, concrete often overruns greenery in Metro Manila. Trees and other natural elements remain scarce, while housing struggles and other urban issues place further pressure on communities.
Thankfully, many stakeholders are recognizing the larger challenge. Developers, in particular, are applying design solutions to their projects to mitigate urban problems like flooding and to create more livable, resilient communities.
One such solution making a difference in new developments is the 15-minute city model. Today, let us explore how this new approach to city planning can address urban challenges and improve everyday life.
The 15-minute city in a nutshell
Popularized by the Franco-Colombian professor Carlos Moreno, the 15-minute city is an urban concept that has its origins in historical ideas.
It presents the city as an urban center wherein all essential services and products are attainable by citizens via a 15-minute walk, bike ride or public transportation ride. Promoting walkability and sustainability, the concept encourages the creation of mixed-use buildings, reduced vehicular use and pedestrian-friendly streets.
The idea transforms urban city centers into self-sustaining villages. Ideally, people who live in a 15-minute city are able to reduce their daily commute and enjoy a work-life balance while still having access to essentials.
This urban planning idea has gained fans among world leaders. Cities like Paris, Utrecht, Dubai, and Tel Aviv are making necessary changes to gradually transform their environments into 15-minute city models.
In the Philippines, Quezon City has made it a mission to follow the model’s concept to make the city more walkable, sustainable and people-friendly. The most populous city in our country aims to be carbon-neutral by 2050 using the 15-minute city model as a guide.
Other local developments are following suit by making self-sustaining urban enclaves that offer basic commodities and more.
A linkage between two cities
Given the need to create a sustainable cityscape, two local property developers have teamed up to build the 15-minute city in one estate.
Ayala Land and Eton Properties have come up with Parklinks, set to become the next “business mecca.” Occupying land in both Pasig City and Quezon City, the project features residential, office and commercial spaces that are interconnected via a walkway system.
Parklinks has dedicated 50 percent of its land area for open spaces and greenery. The Parklinks Bridge, which eases accessibility, complements this eco-feature. At the bridge, people are encouraged to walk and bike to reach various areas of the estate. A 3-ha central park, dubbed the Eco Center, serves as the gem of the project.
With its green features, the 35-ha development aims to reduce common urban challenges like flash floods, vehicular traffic, and the urban heat island effect. By providing more trees in the city, heavy volumes of rainwater flow are absorbed before they can become dangerous forces.
These green features help city drainage systems work more efficiently. By placing residential, commercial and office zones in one estate, the project also reduces the need for vehicular roads and concrete surfaces.
Gradual transformation of urban centers
Through design initiatives such as Parklinks, Metro Manila cities can gradually undergo changes for the better.
While improved drainage and water management systems help mitigate flash floods, natural solutions such as increased green spaces, reduced concrete surfaces and interconnected city zones ensure the longevity of solutions. Beyond solving urban challenges, these natural provisions also enhance environmental aesthetics and increase land value.
Overall, the 15-minute city model is an ideal urban setup wherein everything we need is within reach in 15 minutes or less.
While it may be difficult to immediately implement in our existing cities and urban centers, this model can be used to shape upcoming developments.
Little by little, we can strive to improve our cities and reduce urban problems such as floods. Hopefully, we will have fewer occurrences of accidents and catastrophes in the future.
References: https://ayalaland.com; https://theconversation.com; Magda Ehlers and Pok Rie via pexels.com
