Following the 2020 pandemic, the idea of cities has grown. That is, the way cities are designed and lived in.
What Does the 20-Minute City Consist Of?
This idea was born out of the question of why so much time is wasted between trips For this reason Carlos Moreno, urban planner and scientist at the Sorbonne University in Paris, proposed a city where inhabitants can satisfy their needs in 20 minutes. That is, the possibility of going to school, to work, to the health center, to the stores, to recreational spaces in 20 minutes.
Some cities are already working to implement such a concept. For example, the Melbourne Plan 2017-2050, aims that the inhabitants of that city can cover most of their usual needs with a 20-minute walk. At the same time, making Melbourne a healthier and more inclusive city.
The idea is to promote commercial development in the neighborhoods, to the detriment of the urban area.
Does Moving Less Mean Living Better?
However, different opinions point out that not moving implies two things. First, it strengthens the bond of belonging to a neighborhood. However, there is also a sense of rejection of dissenters. Likewise, decentralization causes more social differences, because the lower social classes, for example, would be forced to live and develop wherever they can, which is safe for some and too unsafe for others.
Another factor to take into account is that the current segmentation of cities does not facilitate the idea of putting this theory into practice. Since the neighborhoods would have to be completely redesigned so that they behave uniformly among themselves, adding social housing, without leaving any group aside.
This theory also leaves aside the concept of multiculturalism, independence and anonymity, which are factors that make big cities attractive, since the inhabitants feel free, not judged and capable of creating their own identity.
However, it would benefit many people and the environment, as it would reduce the use of vehicles, reduce pollution and improve people’s quality of life.
For this utopia to work, it would be necessary to regenerate the values of the inhabitants, it implies a change of educational paradigm in the respect for nature, of proximity, of being and not having, of the relationship in the city, of coexisting and not coexisting.
The International Iberoamerican University (UNINI Puerto Rico) offers the Master’s Degree in Design, Management and Project Management with a specialization in Architecture and Urbanism. Source: The Bubble City: the 20-Minute City
