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The 15-minute city quantified using human mobility data

Author

Listed:
  • Timur Abbiasov

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Cate Heine

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Sadegh Sabouri

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Arianna Salazar-Miranda

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Paolo Santi

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Instituto di Informatica e Telematica del CNR)

  • Edward Glaeser

    (Harvard University)

  • Carlo Ratti

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Politecnico di Milano)

Abstract

Amid rising congestion and transport emissions, policymakers are embracing the ‘15-minute city’ model, which envisions neighbourhoods where basic needs can be met within a short walk from home. Prior research has primarily examined amenity access without exploring its relationship to behaviour. We introduce a measure of local trip behaviour using GPS data from 40 million US mobile devices, defining ‘15-minute usage’ as the proportion of consumption-related trips made within a 15-minute walk from home. Our findings show that the median resident makes only 14% of daily consumption trips locally. Differences in access to local amenities can explain 84% and 74% of the variation in 15-minute usage across and within urban areas, respectively. Historical data from New York zoning policies suggest a causal relationship between local access and 15-minute usage. However, we find a trade-off: increased local usage correlates with higher experienced segregation for low-income residents, signalling potential socio-economic challenges in achieving local living.

Suggested Citation

  • Timur Abbiasov & Cate Heine & Sadegh Sabouri & Arianna Salazar-Miranda & Paolo Santi & Edward Glaeser & Carlo Ratti, 2024. "The 15-minute city quantified using human mobility data," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 8(3), pages 445-455, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:8:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1038_s41562-023-01770-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01770-y
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