Born in the Desert: The 15-Minute City in the Western United States
“15-Minute Cities” is a trend in urban planning and has been discussed in academia for many years. Today, it is possible to see this urbanization model being gradually implemented in some European cities. In contrast to these cases, the first “15-minute city” developed and built from scratch is being designed in Utah. nickname “the pointThe new 24-hectare city will be located on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, in an area where there was a former state prison. This development will create jobs, housing, public space, services, and transportation serving approximately 15,000 people. It is an attempt to explore how urban planning concepts can Innovative solutions that improve the overall health and well-being of people.
Although Paris was the first city to come forward and take practical steps to create a 15-minute city, its planning principles quickly spread to other parts of the world. In Europe, the goal of this change is to make everyday tasks easier to access, and to enable people to walk or cycle to their destinations. This is not the case in North American cities, mainly due to urban sprawl and, as a consequence, reliance on cars to get from one place to another. While there have been attempts to make American cities less dependent on cars, such as projects being undertaken in Arizona that claim to be completely car-free, the point Realize that residents will still need these vehicles, but less often compared to other cities. For this reason, they coined the term “one car community,” where they expect families to need only one car per household.
The purpose of the point It is the creation of a model community focused on healthy living, with the creation of new jobs and housing that allow residents to live, work and play in the same area. By designing for easy mobility, you can create a medium sized area where there are things to do most of the day and also create the right mix of new residential styles, office space and supporting infrastructure. The goal is to pioneer how new cities will be built in the United States in the future.
Valid the point It is that it creates an opportunity to develop something unprecedented, and it is not necessary to change the existing cities and the habits of their inhabitants. It also allows for an accurate acknowledgment of the many urban inequalities we encounter around the world today—whether outdated planning approaches, the remains of separate neighborhoods, and a lack of access to public amenities and parks. It is an opportunity to implement physical projects we cherish with urban planning policies that we believe will make cities better for all. Rather than having to choose between highlighting one aspect of urban life over another and preventing the inevitable silo of economic development, social services, health and well-being, transportation and urban planning – we can recognize them all as equals.
The masterplan, which was created by SOM, is designed to take about 10 to 15 minutes’ walk from the city center to the surrounding areas, and is connected by a series of open spaces that transport residents to different parts of the city. The center is a mixed-use retail and entertainment venue, an accelerator for innovation and other educational functions. Office space designed specifically for the corporate headquarters is located on the east side (and can also be seen from the highways), institutional tenants on the south side, research and development centers on the north and condominiums on the west.
Streets will still make room for vehicular access, but the priority is to make room for bike lanes, wide sidewalks, and a new bus system that also takes residents to nearby cities like Salt Lake City and Provo, a bus that will take you around The Point and access to cars and shared-use bikes. Multiple gardens and open spaces will feature natural landscapes that contribute to an increase in biodiversity by treating all landscape elements with rainwater harvesting systems.
How do the point Located on the site of a former prison owned by the state of Utah, the government underwent an extensive survey and consultation process to gather community input and feedback on how the site was designed and developed. The project is expected to begin in its first phase of construction in 2024.
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