#15-minute-city

#15-minute-city

Fifteen-minute neighborhood, 20-minute neighborhood, smart growth, new urbanism. Right. I think they all are discussing the same thing, come to the same conclusion. And so, you know, how do we create a closer proximity of like housing and those essentials? I think parking lots are a big gap. And so Portland removed parking requirements, which kind of frees up this space to be developed into something else.

As Joburg shifts towards hybrid work and suburban hubs start buzzing like mini city centres, we might finally be heading towards something better: the rise of the 15-minute city. The idea, popularised by French urbanist Carlos Moreno, is simple: everything you need (work, food, fitness, childcare, errands, downtime) should be within a 15-minute walk of home. Paris made it famous. But Joburg, with its scattered nodes and endless commute culture, might be the city that needs it most.

Encompassing 159,000 acres, the master plan integrates renewable energy production, drought-resistant water systems, and eco-friendly architecture. At its center, a timber skyscraper known as the Equitism Tower is envisioned as both a landmark structure and a symbol of the city's proposed economic model. Incorporating aeroponic farms, photovoltaic roofs, and water storage systems, the tower represents the principle of Equitism, in which land ownership and the city's growth are designed to benefit all residents.