Realising the 15-hour city
Updated On: 22 June, 2024 06:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Lindsay Pereira
It’s hard to believe in the notion of urban planning when there is no proof that the concept exists in Bombay
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An overwhelming majority of the country’s urban settlements do not have a masterplan. Representation Pic/Ashish Raje
I sometimes amuse myself by reading what conspiracy theorists have to say. This is easier than ever before, thanks not only to amplification by social media, but by the anger that drives most people to make poor choices in our age of anxiety and bigotry. One of my recent favourites involves the hate directed towards an urban planning concept called the 15-minute city, or FMC.
The premise is simple enough: Build spaces that offer residents access to daily necessities and services within 15 minutes from any point. The reasons are logical because, when people can get to work easily, shop for necessities and find entertainment or healthcare quickly, their quality of life improves, they are healthier and happier, and sustainable living is more achievable. Naturally, because this sounds great, it was seized upon by far-right supporters in the West as proof that governments wanted to control citizens. They promoted the idea that 15-minute cities would restrict residents from travelling outside pre-determined zones, their homes would turn into open-air prisons, and they would be locked into areas under the pretext of climate change. In short, the kind of lunacy that eventually brainwashes people into electing criminals as their Prime Ministers.
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