Adapting the 15-Minute City to North America: A Framework for Neighborhood Clusters with Urban Agriculture and Green Mobility

Md Faisal Kabir (), Mahnoor Fatima Sohail and Caroline Hachem-Vermette
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Md Faisal Kabir: Department of Building, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Mahnoor Fatima Sohail: Department of Building, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Caroline Hachem-Vermette: Department of Building, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-22

Abstract: To reduce GHG emissions from food miles and enhance urban food security, this study develops and evaluates an integrated framework combining three strategies: the 15-minute city concept, urban agriculture, and a renewable-energy-powered green transportation (GT) system. The goal is to create a scalable, holistic approach to sustainable food production and distribution within neighborhoods. A Food Production and Transportation Framework is proposed, modeling vegetable cultivation across rooftops, facades, and lot spaces, with optimized allocations based on a tailored Food Production Schedule. The harvested produce is distributed via GT powered by sidewalk-integrated photovoltaics (PVs). Results demonstrate that using 15% of roof, facade, and lot spaces yields an achieved annual food self-sufficiency of 100%. The transportation system operates with a single GT unit powered by 98 m 2 of sidewalk PVs, reducing CO 2 emissions by 98% from the base case. Economic analysis indicates a payback period of 2.8 years, with the cost of PV-generated electricity estimated at C$0.92/kWh. This framework highlights that 0.19 units of local food production offset one unit of CO 2 emissions. This integrated approach advances multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Keywords: 15-Minute City; urban agriculture; green transportation; sustainable development goals; amenities; food self-sufficiency; sidewalk PV; framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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