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The concept of the 15-minute city goes back to the urbanist Carlos Moreno and by no means exclusively involves new ways of thinking and planning: A city of short distances with a social and functional mix has existed in urban planning concepts since the 1980s and still exists today (Kurth, 2021, p. 28). Moreno focuses on reducing car traffic and defined the 15-minute city in 2016, in which essential things should be within a maximum distance of 15 minutes on foot or by bicycle in cities (Moreno et al., 2021, p. 100f.). The concept aims to create self-sufficient urban districts with the essential functions of living, working, retail, health, education, and entertainment by decentralizing urban functions and services (Khavarian-Garmsir et al., 2023, p. 10) and thus counter the negative consequences of a city focused on car traffic with urban development that reduces traffic (BBSR, 2020-2024). Among other things, the aim is to create environmentally friendly, efficient transport alternatives to car traffic and improve public transport infrastructure (Büttner et al., 2024, p. 4). As cities are mostly polyrhythmic and polychronic, Moreno's 15-minute city shifts the focus from “urban planning” to “planning urban life” (Abdelfattah et al., 2022, p. 331).
This paper aims to compare the extent to which the 15-minute city concept can contribute to the sustainable urban development of Thessaloniki and Hanover and where the cities currently stand with regard to the shift towards walking and cycling as part of the DAAD university partnership “Centers of the Future - Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development (ZukunftZentren).” Conceived in the past as car-friendly cities, the developments of the two cities now differ significantly from each other and offer different approaches to implementing the 15-minute city concept. As a starting point and connecting element, the article focuses on the aspect of mobility - especially walking and cycling.
A literature analysis (according to Brink, 2013, p. 46ff) is first used to develop the basics of the 15-minute city concept. Participant observations (according to Bachmann, 2009) are carried out in both cities during various research visits, and urban development is systematic, standardized, and recorded. Based on the main topic of mobility, the potentials, and challenges of the two cities of Thessaloniki and Hanover are then compared verbally and argumentatively concerning the development of the 15-minute city concept.
The decentralization of urban functions and mixed uses has already been implemented in both Thessaloniki and Hanover in isolated cases, which shows that such a transformation is possible. For both cities, which have been developed with a strong focus on the car, a development towards a 15-minute city can be particularly challenging (Khavarian-Garmsir et al., 2023, p. 12). Often, pure densification and concentration of functions are not enough; instead, it is advisable to use central locations such as train stations, for example, and to optimize uses and locate services there (Abdelfattah, 2022, p. 331), which, fundamentally contradicts the concept of the 15-minute city. In Thessaloniki, however, such mixed uses help revitalize the city. This could also be an option for the city of Hannover to shape the transition actively.
Although neither Thessaloniki nor Hanover are 15-minute cities, they are both on the road to transformation. The direction they ultimately take depends heavily on political decisions and the resources and framework conditions in the cities.
References
Abdelfattah, L., Deponte, D. & Fossa, G. (2022): The 15-minute city: interpreting the model to bring out urban resiliencies. Transportation Research Procedia 60 (2022) 330–337. 10.1016/j.trpro.2021.12.043
Bachmann, G. (2009) Teilnehmende Beobachtung. In: Kühl S, Strodtholz P, Taffertshofer A (Hg.) Handbuch Methoden der Organisationsforschung. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. doi:10.1007/978-3-531-91570-8_13
BBSR – Bundesinstitut fur Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (eds.) (2020-2024): Forschungsprojekt Die Stadt der Viertelstunde. Zwischenergebnisse. https://www.bbsr.bund.de/BBSR/DE/forschung/programme/refo/staedtebau/2023/stadtder- viertelstunde/01-start.html?pos=2 (09.07.2024).
Brink, A. (2013) Anfertigung wissenschaftlicher Arbeiten. Ein prozessorientierter Leitfaden zur Erstellung von Bachelor-, Master- und Diplomarbeiten. 5. aktualis. und erw. Aufl., Wiesbaden: Springer
Büttner, B., Seisenberger, S., McCormick, B., Silva, C., Teixeira, J. F., Papa, E. & Cao, M. (2024): Mapping of 15-minute City Practices. Overview on strategies, policies and implementation in Europe and beyond. Report from DUT’s 15-minute City Transition Pathay.
Khavarian-Garmsir, A. R., Sharifi, A. & Sadeghi, A. (2023): From Garden City to 15-Minute City: A Historical Perspective and Critical Assessment. Land 2023, 12, 512. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020512
Kurth, D. (2021): In 15 Minuten zur Europäischen Stadt? In: StadtBauwelt, 231/19.2021: 28-29, https://www.bauwelt.de/dl/1700547/artikel.pdf
Moreno, C., Allam, Z., Chabaud, D., Gall, C. & Pratlong, F. (2021): Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, Resilience and Place. Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities. Smart Cities 2021, 4, 93-111. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010006
| Keywords | transformation; sustainability; connectivity; health; leisure; mobility |
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