The concept of a 15-minute city is characterized by access to essential services at a comfortable distance to be covered on foot or by means of active modes, such as bicycle and scooter, for example.
Experts in sustainable urban planning defend the concept of a 15-minute city because this development format allows people to approach their workplaces and leisure / entertainment options, reducing travel and minimizing the common problems of large urban centers, such as traffic, safety and health.
Many urban centers already adopt practices of 15-minute cities, which includes essential services, as well as leisure and entertainment options in the same location so that residents and visitors can take advantage of innovative solutions that improve people’s quality of life, integrated with the neighborhood in which they reside or visit.
Pedra Branca Creative City adopts the concept of a 15-minute city
The Creative City Pedra Branca is a planned and connected neighborhood where it is possible to live, work, study and have fun within walking distance. The address located in the municipality of Palhoça, in Santa Catarina, was designed 20 years ago with expert advice from the best architecture and urban planning offices in Brazil and the world, being considered an international reference in sustainable urban planning.
Urban development in a planned, balanced, creative and sustainable way adopts the pillars of the new urbanism that designs cities for people. Discover the characteristics that make the Pedra Branca Creative City a 15-minute city:
Pedestrian accessibility and active modes
The concept of a 15-minute city aims to provide complete and accessible infrastructure for pedestrians and active modes in order to facilitate mobility and promote a better quality of life for people. The first shared street in the country is located in Pedra Branca Creative City. Passeio Pedra Branca is an open-air space with wide, flat and continuous sidewalks that integrates convivial and leisure environments.
The Danish architect and urban planner Jan Gehl, who was also responsible for the requalification of all public spaces in the neighborhood, consulted the formulation of the Pedra Branca Creative City’s square and the shared street project.
Urban environment designed for people
To adopt the concept of a 15-minute city, it is necessary to modify the way of life and the dynamics of public spaces. The densest and most populous cities must transform the streets into spaces free of carbon emissions, encouraging mobility on foot or through active modes. For this, it is necessary to rethink the design of large urban centers, transforming urban areas so that most services are closer to the inhabitants.
Short-distance commuting
Mixed-use developments – buildings with multiple functions that bring together houses, offices and commerce in the same space – are built for functional and intelligent use of urban space, have infrastructure designed for the well-being of people, making the urban landscape more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists. This type of development facilitates the routine by allowing short distance commuting, which prioritizes active transport and micro mobility.
Redefinition of urban space
The 15-minute cities provide access to public spaces and quality services. This way, they encourage interaction between people through the sharing of urban space, making cities more humane, intelligent and sustainable. In the post-pandemic scenario, it will be necessary to reframe the urban space in order to create welcoming urban environments for people, stimulating life in community and in harmony with nature.