Speaker
Description
Contemporary urban planning policies increasingly focus on proximity-based planning, most notably, the 15-Minute City concept (15-m city). In this framework, it is argued for the development of mixed-use neighborhoods, in which most essential services such as groceries, schools, health care, and recreation are located within easy reach on foot or bike. Even though the 15-Minute City paradigm has received much attention, its effects on residents' neighborhood satisfaction are still poorly investigated, especially in Portuguese mid-sized municipalities.
This work explores how urban environment features associated with the 15-Minute City concept contribute to neighborhood satisfaction. Based on the well-researched, theoretical underpinnings of residential and neighborhood satisfaction, incorporating both subjective (individual evaluation) and objective characteristics of the physical environment while controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, we develop a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to test the relationship between neighborhood satisfaction and 15-minute city features. The data used in this model is collected via a survey implemented in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon. The municipality of Vila Franca de Xira presents a specific context, combining urban cores and peri-urban elements. Its rich and varied built environment allows meaningful comparisons between different community types. The implemented survey assesses the subjective evaluation of physical and social dimensions including walkability, safety, cleanliness, access to amenities, social cohesion, and sense of community. From the survey, daily behaviors, such as trip-making and mode choice, as well as public space utilization are also captured.
The survey data is complemented by secondary data, characterizing the urban environment and land use patterns. Spatial analysis is then used to evaluate the objective measures of the urban environment (density, diversity, street characteristics, retail, and public facilities) and its alignment with the 15-minute city concept for the vicinity of the residence of each respondent. The integration of these subjective and objective datasets is then used to estimate the SEM model. The obtained results are then discussed in terms of the effectiveness of the different 15-minute features to increase residents' satisfaction. These results could guide urban planners and policymakers on how to increase well-being through proximity-based interventions to develop more equitable and sustainable communities. Finally, the research provides insights into neighborhood design to fulfill the needs of inhabitants encompassed within the 15-Minute City concept.
| Keywords | 15-Minute City; Neighborhood Satisfaction; Walkability; Daily Behavior |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
