Understanding the 20 minute Neighbourhood: Making opportunities for people to live well locally

The world is currently in a state of complete upheaval. The speed at which this is happening is worrying. Nobody really knows where the journey will take us. Climate, energy, migration, housing supply, economy, conversion and expansion of public and private infrastructure, etc., are tasks that need to be tackled and that cannot be postponed.

Concepts — in the sense of comprehensive sustainability — must be developed and continuously implemented to cope with these changes.

Unfortunately, there are no generally valid patent remedies — but there are some principles that need to be observed. Each country and region should formulate its own goals and develop solutions for them. The work of transformation taking place in the cities and regions is important. There is a need to work together with the inhabitants to develop and implement short-, medium-, and long-term concepts to drastically reduce energy requirements and thus CO2 emissions.

The 20-minute neighbourhood is the smaller sister of the 15-minute city. Between them, these two ideas are an attempt to exert how most of us live our lives now. The city of the future is the city of neighbourhoods. Concepts for conserving resources must be developed for these hitherto mostly unsecure, interchangeable, and monotonous areas — where most of a city’s inhabitants live. The primary goal is to continuously realize the “city of short distances.” All measures must be geared towards this!

Diversity, colourfulness, mix of living and working, appreciation of public facilities, careful expansion of cycle paths, design of public transport, increasing job opportunities in neighbourhoods, expansion of social facilities, kindergartens, connection to local public transport, development of new mobility models — in all, an integrated view into a very intensive involvement of residents. All these areas need to be addressed.

This elaboration is a very good basis for the long overdue discussion about the future of our towns and cities, and the neighbourhoods that form them. This should make it possible to initiate the comprehensive participation process. All citizens — especially the young — should be involved, because it is their world that we are planning and building today.

However, success is only possible if a powerful organization is set up in the administration to take control. This organization must be equipped with competencies and financial resources.

“Show me your city — and I’ll tell you if you’re on the right track.”