Beyond the 15-minute city dichotomy: Time-denominated access to essential services in Chicago

This study examines social and spatial disparities in time-denominated access to employment opportunities, schools, parks, hospitals, grocery stores, and transit stations by walking, biking, and transit within the City of Chicago. It goes beyond the conventional 15-minute access dichotomy to recognize and understand the “where,” “what,” and “who” of access disparities in pursuit of equitable and sustainable urban environments. Five observations are discerned. First, 43% of Chicago is already within the 15-minute threshold, a proportion comparable to European cities (e.g., Helsinki, Berlin). Second, locations along major transit routes exhibit relatively longer travel times to access valued destinations. Third, Chicagoans have relatively greater access to employment opportunities and transit stations compared to grocery stores and hospitals. Fourth, there is a racial disparity in time-denominated access among racial minorities beyond the dichotomy of white and non-white. Fifth, disparities in access across generations are both detrimental and benign. The findings bring to the forefront multiple important considerations: (i) the 15-minute threshold is arbitrary, and its dichotomy obscures subtle disparities between areas; (ii) the definition of “essential services” is subjective and context dependent; (iii) not all essential services are prioritized equally when individuals and households choose residential locations; and (iv) access barriers extend beyond mobility and destination choices and may sometimes be rooted in social causes (e.g., safety concerns).