A blueprint for having everything close to home in Ireland’s major cities has been “very well received” says the man who commissioned the report.
Irish Institutional Property CEO Pat Farrell asked expert architects Hassell to look at whether the Paris-born 15 minute city idea could work here.
The car has been king in Ireland for decades with our cities, towns and villages planned around the idea long distances to what we need and urban sprawl are not an issue.
But 'Close to Home: Exploring 15-Minute Urban Living in Ireland' author Camilla Siggaard Andersen believes having everything within walking distance could transform the lives of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick folks.
And that having more ‘compact and high density neighbourhoods’ could help us well on our way to a more sustainable way of life and usher in a new era of urban living.
IIP boss Mr Farrell says the 15 minute city report “has been widely shared with policy makers and stakeholders and been generally very well received”.
When it comes to ‘making it happen’ he says “the report is aligned with the government’s “compact growth strategy as set out in Ireland’s National Development Plan”.
Published last October, NDP 2021–2030 has been described as the government’s “most climate-action focused blueprint for public expenditure” to date.
And with ‘compact growth’ top of the list it appears they see reducing urban sprawl as a solution to many issues including the climate crisis.
Simply put, the Irish government wants to “secure the sustainable growth of more compact urban and rural settlements supported by jobs, houses, services and amenities, rather than continued sprawl and unplanned, uneconomic growth”.
This means a more considered approach to housing near schools, childcare, health services while transitioning to a climate resilient society with more sustainable management of water, waste and other environmental resources.
And it fits perfectly with the 15 minute city plan.
Under ‘compact growth’, the government has pledged €14.5billion for sustainable development and hopes to deliver 112,000 new social houses by 2027 as well as 54,000 more affordable homes to rent or buy.
The €2billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund will also be extended until 2030, with additional money to address the needs of towns and cities.
They also intend to establish a National Regeneration Development Agency.
Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford all get a mention in the plan.
And “investment in high quality integrated public and sustainable transport systems and supporting amenities” is considered key with €8.6 billion investment earmarked.
Living close to all essential amenities makes for a happy, healthy life
The concept was developed by French-Colombian scientist Carlos Moreno and Paris has already adopted his idea which aims to have education, work, transport, nutrition, health & care, recreation & culture within 15 mins of people’s homes at an average walking pace.
According to the Hassell report, a YouGov population survey found 59% of Irish people believe walkability makes a neighbourhood a desirable place to live compared to 41% who think the same of car access.
It also discovered just 10% of Ireland’s population have all six required amenities within 15 minutes of home - but given the choice, 33% would like it.
Ms Siggaard Andersen says the 15 minute plan “comes from a place of wanting to create places that remain fit for purpose long into the future and that unlock a much more sustainable future”.
While IIP CEO Mr Farrell believes the research is a “timely contribution, bringing fresh thinking and new insight to light” as policy makers and Irish citizens rethink how they live in urban areas.
If adopted in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford the benefits could transform lives.
“I think the biggest change is time savings but also the sense of control over one’s own life that comes from being able to quite quickly access destinations,” Camilla said.
“The autonomy that comes from having walkable access to the foundation destinations of life is invaluable and is especially invaluable to population groups that are typically disadvantaged.
“The most important thing to remember here is the difference this makes to people who don’t have access to vehicles.
“Children have a lot more autonomy in a 15 minute city and might be able to pop out to the playground on their own and walk to school.
“People who can’t get a driving licence in Ireland... people who are elderly or don’t feel comfortable getting behind a wheel.”
Other benefits include a self-sustaining local economy and more environmentally sustainable construction that uses less land so the areas preserved can be used for “crops or enhancing biodiversity”.
“You are also using less resources because you have more people using energy grids and transport and you are building networks with other people,” the report’s author added.
“We all want to spend time with our friends and family and one of the ideas of the 15-minute city is that all becomes easier to achieve and it gets woven into your everyday life.
“You are running into people as you are coming and going and the value of those daily encounters is very well documented for human health and wellbeing globally.”
For it to really work, Camilla says the housing available has to be as diverse as the population’s needs and must also be surrounded with “a variety of amenities” including parks, work places, offices, public transport, cycle paths, leisure facilities, shared green space, grocers and other retailers and schools.
“Bringing people back into the city is also improving the safety of the city,” she added.
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