The inhabitant of Flanders (Belgium, EU) travels on average 20 km a day to work. Our streets and neighborhoods are equipped with street parking and traffic lights to make this commuting possible. More air pollution, noise, paved areas, and less social contact than in pedestrianized areas are the result of this car oriented design.
The 20-minute city offers the opportunity to phase out the car due to its proximity to living, working, facilities and recreation and to transform the vacant space into terrace space, neighborhood greenery, office gardens, mercados, cycling and walking paths, …
The 20-minute city is a user centered approach to density, mixed use and modal shift. Within 20 minutes you are able to reach your daily social needs by foot, (e-)bike or public transport. Reducing the need of cars, and making more efficient use of the urban spaces. Meanwhile you reduce your carbon footprint and protect the planetary health.
Through tactical urbanism we can, without much resources, change the use of our urban areas. We have to look further than the public domain and search opportunities in private domain. Underused office gardens become local green spaces. Underused car parking (due to homeworking) becomes the new neighborhood parking, freeing up car space in the streets and allowing to plant trees to reduce heat waves.
The 20 minute city is the vaccine to reduce the impact of the health crisis, recession and climate crisis.
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