The 15-minute City Concept as a Solution to Climate Change in a Regional Context

The 15-minute city concept is an urban planning strategy that could be used as a solution to climate change in the context of a regional municipality. This paper examines the 15minute city concept as a solution to climate change in York Region. The 15-minute city concept is a popular sustainable urban planning strategy that has arisen out of media that could be useful in creating policies and plans to combat the effects of climate change. My research focuses on the 15-minute city concept as a positive strategy focusing mainly on urbanized cities and neighbourhoods, neglecting the inequalities and problems that could be associated with this concept. I conducted a literature review on regional planning and sustainable urban forms, interviewed planners at local and regional municipalities, examined two example cases, Ottawa, and Paris, and reviewed official plans and policies in York Region and other municipalities. From this research, I have concluded that the 15-minute city concept could work as a solution to climate change in certain parts of York Region. To fully include the 15-minute city concept in York Region, planners would have to create additional site-specific plans and policies. Overall, I think the 15-minute city solution is an accessible concept to understand that could be used in plans and policies to address sprawl and car dependency. Further research could include research on accessible urban planning wording and the 15-minute city viability in other regional municipalities.