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'The 15-Minute City': Author Carlos Moreno makes case for his idea in new book

The cover of "The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time and Our Planet" beside author Carlos Moreno. (Courtesy)
The cover of "The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time and Our Planet" beside author Carlos Moreno. (Courtesy)

If you live in or near a city, how long is your commute? How close is the nearest school, the nearest supermarket, your park?

Carlos Moreno says you should be able to get to all those places easily on foot, bike or public transit. He coined the concept of the “15-minute city,” and he’s got a new book out with the same name with some history of urban design and examples of cities moving in this direction.

His idea has been gaining traction with some mayors and urban planners, but it has also become the target of conspiracy theorists with baseless fears of having their cars taken away by a world government.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong talks to Moreno, author of “The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time and Our Planet.”

A diagram of a 15 minute city. (Courtesy)

Book excerpt: ‘The 15-Minute City’

By Carlos Moreno

From the book “The 15-Minute City” by Carlos Moreno. Copyright 2024 by Carlos Moreno. Reprinted with permission of Wiley Publishers. All rights reserved.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2024 NPR