RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

The Sustainable ’15-minute City’

People live more and more in cities, and this must be taken seriously into account when designing and managing them

The Sustainable ’15-minute City’
The Sustainable ’15-minute City’

, 29.03.2024, 11:57

People live more and more in cities, and this must be taken seriously into account when designing and managing them. The big metropolitan areas face big economic, social, health, environmental, food, and transportation problems. An older concept is brought back into focus today, namely: “the 15-minute city”. Its ultimate goal is, very briefly, for people to have at hand almost everything they need, making an effort of traveling for a maximum of a quarter of an hour. Vlad Zamfira – specialist in climate change and sustainable policies – describes the context:

“The cities we live in occupy only 2% of the earth’s surface, while they host half of the world’s population. They are responsible for 75% of global energy consumption, 80% of carbon emissions and hold 80% of global GDP. Estimates show that, by 2050, almost 70% of the population will live in these cities. At the same time, cities have a major impact on the lives of their inhabitants, but also on natural ecosystems, so it is important that their development is sustainable: that is, we can cover our present needs without jeopardizing the needs of future generations to ensure their livelihoods. Are ’15-minute cities a viable option? And what are they? It’s a simple concept, a concise and easy-to-remember term that represents a set of principles by which cities should be built. In a nutshell, this model involves having access to all basic services and more, such as shops , parks, schools and kindergartens, in a short time, less than 15 minutes on foot or by bike. What are the principles that guide the founder of 15-minute cities, Carlos Moreno? One – ecology – for a green and sustainable city. Two – proximity – living within walking distance of all other activities. Three – solidarity – to create connections between people. Four – participation – citizens should be involved in planning. In such localities, the prioritization of transportation methods is reversed compared to the current one. If at the moment the personal car is the basis of transportation, and the way we design and build cities, in the ’15-minute cities’ it would be on the back burner. Pedestrians and micromobility are in the foreground. Next comes public transport, and then sharing vehicles, which help to increase the number of users per vehicle and decrease the dependence on a personal vehicle.”

But the key word is “sustainability”. For this to exist, we look at 3 main categories: People – to be sustainable, a city must have a positive social impact, and consider the health of its inhabitants and all social classes. The planet – sustainable cities not only do not affect the environment, but they actually have a positive impact on it. Profit – the economic aspect cannot be neglected, in the long term cities cannot be sustainable if they cannot support themselves financially.

Who wins and who can lose from the application of the ’15-minute city’ concept? People are the main winners! According to studies, there is a direct correlation between the number of daily steps and obesity. One of them also shows that cities that are more pedestrian-friendly also have a lower obesity rate. In Romania, several sources show that the obesity rate is between 20 and 25% – this has increased from 14%, as it was in 1997. Then: less noise pollution. Many cars are very noisy. In a quiet city people are more productive and mentally healthy. And businesses benefit: you’re much more likely to stop at a store when you’re walking or cycling than when you’re speeding by. Studies show that on streets where pedestrians have been prioritized, local business revenues have increased beyond expectations.

Who has to lose? One of the effects of the transition to ’15-minute cities’ is the decrease in dependence on cars – something that directly affects a sector that supports, in certain areas, a significant part of the labor market. Returning to Bucharest, this is a city of contrasts, and the same applies to transportation. There are routes where you have easy access to the metro, tram or bus – which are separated from traffic, which makes them predictable and often the fastest option. At the same time, there are many other routes where to get from point A to point B using public transportation, you have to change several lines, which adds extra time to the journey. At the moment, in the capital of Romania, each sector is rebuilding streets according to internal decisions, not having a city-wide strategy. We see this problem not only at the level of Bucharest, but generally at the level of the entire administrative apparatus – lack of communication or faulty communication. The lack of adequate infrastructure for public transportation, the poor quality of most means of transportation and the lack of efficient connections are the main reasons why Romanians prefer to use their personal car, even for short distances. On the other hand, personal status is another important reason why Romanians drive, because in Romania public transport is associated with lower incomes, unlike other countries. The data and ideas presented come from an online material created by Romanian engineers Dalia Stoian – specialist in sustainable solar solutions – and Claudiu Butacu – specialist in renewable energy.

Gala Green Report 2024
Green Planet Friday, 25 October 2024

Gala Green Report

The Gala Green Report is an initiative that aims to recognize and reward the local merits of companies, authorities and public figures in the fight...

Gala Green Report
Photo: pixabay.com
Green Planet Friday, 27 September 2024

Via Danubiana

Work is in progress, in Romania, for an ecotourism route, meant to provide the explorer with one-of-a-kind experiences, ranging from the natural and...

Via Danubiana
Artificially widened beaches in Romania
Green Planet Friday, 26 July 2024

Artificially widened beaches in Romania

Extensive works have been carried out on the Romanian Black Sea coast in the last ten years, to widen the beaches, after they suffered a slow but...

Artificially widened beaches in Romania
The Danube falcon Photo: Emil Todorov / sursa SOR
Green Planet Friday, 31 May 2024

Artificial nests for the Danube falcon

  A number of 60 artificial nests will be placed on high voltage poles in the south of the country this year, the Romanian Ornithological...

Artificial nests for the Danube falcon
Green Planet Friday, 26 April 2024

Noise pollution in Romania

Noise has increasingly become a challenge to modern societies, one that can cause serious health issues, such as heart and circulatory diseases,...

Noise pollution in Romania
Green Planet Friday, 23 February 2024

Wood as a Resource to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Romania has all the resources – forests, wood, processing capacities, specialists and schools – to enter the leading platoon of countries...

Wood as a Resource to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Green Planet Friday, 26 January 2024

International climate events in a politically difficult year

The effects of global warming are alarming and the world needs to take urgent...

International climate events in a politically difficult year
Green Planet Thursday, 28 December 2023

Romania’s Wind Power Potential

The existing onshore wind capacity in Romania could allow the generation of twice the amount of electricity than the current...

Romania’s Wind Power Potential

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company