The 15-minute city quantified using human mobility data

Timur Abbiasov, Cate Heine, Sadegh Sabouri, Arianna Salazar-Miranda (), Paolo Santi, Edward Glaeser and Carlo Ratti
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Timur Abbiasov: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cate Heine: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sadegh Sabouri: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Arianna Salazar-Miranda: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Paolo Santi: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Edward Glaeser: Harvard University
Carlo Ratti: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Human Behaviour, 2024, vol. 8, issue 3, 445-455

Abstract: Abstract Amid rising congestion and transport emissions, policymakers are embracing the ‘15-minute city’ model, which envisions neighbourhoods where basic needs can be met within a short walk from home. Prior research has primarily examined amenity access without exploring its relationship to behaviour. We introduce a measure of local trip behaviour using GPS data from 40 million US mobile devices, defining ‘15-minute usage’ as the proportion of consumption-related trips made within a 15-minute walk from home. Our findings show that the median resident makes only 14% of daily consumption trips locally. Differences in access to local amenities can explain 84% and 74% of the variation in 15-minute usage across and within urban areas, respectively. Historical data from New York zoning policies suggest a causal relationship between local access and 15-minute usage. However, we find a trade-off: increased local usage correlates with higher experienced segregation for low-income residents, signalling potential socio-economic challenges in achieving local living.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01770-y

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