Paris, city of a quarter of an hour

What is the city of a quarter of an hour?

‍

Find everything you need fifteen minutes from home, on foot or by bike. This is the challenge that Paris City Hall wants to take up. This idea was theorized by Carlos Moreno, a professor at the Sorbonne known for his reflections, initiatives and applications around sustainable smart cities. In the 1990s, he made the following observation: while the collective imagination extolled the importance of mobility in remedying spatial fragmentation, the social and environmental repercussions were significant. The researcher thus defends the importance of “demobility” to reduce our harmful impact. Indeed, the fragmentation of a city has consequences on the personal balance of its inhabitants: a feeling of isolation and stress result. In addition, the technical devices that are used to access activities generate pollution, and therefore harm the environment. The city of a quarter of an hour is therefore the solution to climate change because it limits polluting trips.

‍

The city of a quarter of an hour means allowing access at any time to “six essential urban social functions, which are: living, working, obtaining supplies, taking care of yourself, learning, developing” according to Carlos Moreno.

‍

During the 2020 municipal elections, the desire to apply this concept to the French capital emerged. The objective is to transform Paris into a polycentric city to offer residents a high quality of life in short distances. The city of a quarter of an hour means allowing them to access at any time the “six essential urban social functions which are: to live, work, to obtain supplies, to take care of themselves, to learn, to develop” according to Carlos Moreno.

‍

Making this project a reality requires major changes. Rather than building new equipment, Anne Hidalgo decided in particular to transform the places that already exist, into “multi-use places”. She also sees schools and colleges as the heart of each district, and plans to ensure that they open on weekends, in order to allow Parisians to enjoy fun, sporting and cultural activities. The city of Paris also intends to promote the establishment of local shops and services, local production and short circuits.

‍

An approach that responds to the context of the health crisis

‍

The measures that have been taken for more than a year (lockdowns, curfews) have forced Parisians to reduce their trips, by limiting themselves to their neighborhood. This phenomenon was an opportunity for the inhabitants of Paris to learn how to create solidarity networks in their neighborhood, and to find something to meet all their needs close to home. The approach of the city of a quarter of an hour is thus part of the continuity of the changes that Paris has been experiencing for several months.