November 2024, Year XVI, n. 11
Carlos Moreno
Long Live the Cities!
“I’m convinced that we should design cities that minimise unnecessary travel time and maximise the time people can spend on meaningful activities.”
Telos: In the ideal city, space is measured by time. Do you agree with this proposition?
Carlos Moreno: I wouldn’t say that we need to measure space only and strictly by time, but I certainly do believe that time should play a more important place in urbanism and the design of our cities to create more liveable, efficient and sustainable cities. Whereas traditional urbanism often focuses only on physical space (buildings, roads…), taking temporality into account is a way to better consider people's experience of the city. Indeed, time influences the quality of life and the quality of the city. How long it takes for someone to commute to work, access healthcare, or find recreational activities directly impacts their well-being and stress levels. Also, when essential services and amenities are accessible within a short time frame, the dependence on cars, the traffic congestion and the pollution can be reduced. I’m convinced that we should design cities that minimise unnecessary travel time and maximise the time people can spend on meaningful activities. This is the principle behind the ‘15-minute city concept’ which I advocate for. The idea is to create neighbourhoods where residents can reach most of their daily needs -work, shopping, education, healthcare, and leisure- within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. Space and time are interconnected, but space shouldn’t entirely be reduced to a function of time! Cities must also provide diverse and vibrant spaces that foster community interaction, cultural activities, and individual exploration.
“The 15-Minute City: A Solution for Saving Our Time and Our Planet” is the title of your latest book. What makes it such an important read today?
It is an important read because it offers a comprehensive framework for creating cities that are not only environmentally sustainable but also socially equitable and conducive to a high quality of life. It is incredibly relevant today because the 15-minute city concept addresses some of the most pressing challenges our urban environments face, such as climate change, social inequality, and the need for improved quality of life. This book provides actionable insights and practical steps for policymakers, urban planners, and citizens who are eager to shape the future of our urban landscapes. It is a true plunge in the making of the 15-minute city worldwide and I hope it can bring people to action in creating more sustainable and fulfilling urban experiences.
‘LOC - Loreto Open Community', a project for the regeneration of Piazzale Loreto in Milan is an example of a tangible application of your vision in Italy. Can you tell us about it?
Milan has embraced the 15-minute city model as part of its broader urban development strategy, with notable initiatives such as the Piano Urbano della Mobilità Sostenibile (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan), which focuses on improving public transportation, expanding cycling infrastructure, and creating pedestrian-friendly areas. The LOC project is also a great example of Milan's commitment to this vision. It aims to regenerate the Piazzale Loreto, a significant underused area, by creating a multifunctional public space that serves the diverse needs of the local community. The transformation focuses on:
- the improvement of the accessibility and mobility within the area. by enhancing pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, the project ensures that residents can easily reach essential services and amenities within a short distance;
- mixed-use development with a mix of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces. The objective of this mix of uses is to promote a local economy, create an attractive destination and provide resident access to a variety of services;
- creating green spaces and public areas where people can gather, relax, and engage in recreational activities;
- providing cultural and community activities, i.e. events, local markets, community gatherings;
- building with sustainable design principles that ensure long-term resilience, i.e. renewable energy sources, energy-efficient buildings, and sustainable waste management practices.
The municipality of Milan played a crucial role in kickstarting the project by recognising the potential of Piazzale Loreto for transformation and providing the necessary support and resources. The project is since developed by a collaboration of several key stakeholders, including the municipality of Milan, urban planners, architects, local businesses, and community organizations. Thanks to this collective effort, the LOC project is a shining example of how the 15-minute city concept can be implemented to create more liveable, sustainable, and equitable urban spaces.
A vision which took a moment to turn into a nightmare in the eyes of public opinion amplified by social media. ‘A liberticidal imposition born to lock the poor in their ghettos. A worldwide conspiracy of elites against ordinary people. A war of the rich districts against the outskirts.’ These are just some of the most scathing accusations. Why did all this happen?
Yes, it is true, the concept of the 15-minute city has been the target of criticism and conspiracy theories. This attacks to my work, and to my person, were very violent and destabilising and I can neither fully explain them or excuse them. Misinformation and conspiracy theories spread rapidly on social media, often distorting the original intentions and principles of this city model. Using sensationalised narratives such a “liberticidal imposition” or “worldwide conspiracy”, is a way to attract people, without them even knowing the essence of the 15-minute city concept. It is crucial to me to clarify that this city concept is not about restricting freedom nor movement but rather enhancing the quality of life by providing more choices and conveniences locally.
Concerns about social equity are legitimate and they are taken seriously in this concept with an attention to inclusive planning, policies and investments. Cities need to ensure that urban regeneration projects are well distributed and that every neighbourhood benefit from improved infrastructure and services. I can find arguments and communicate without shame, because the 15-minute city project is also that of a fairer, more socially aware city. However, for me, these criticisms are a sign of a social crisis that goes beyond my job or the vision I’ve been working for. There's a real need to improve trust and reduce violence. A better living environment would certainly help.
Marco Sonsini
Editorial
Did you know that by 2007 the number of city dwellers had already surpassed the number of people living in the countryside? And in 2050, 70% of the population will be living in urban areas. So, cities – and especially the people who govern them – are called upon to cope with countless challenges connected to lifestyle, consumption, climate change and the digital transformation. What is more, they also need to come up with new ways of shaping urban landscapes. Hence, the importance of identifying a new approach to urban planning. And who can answer these questions better than our guest for this November issue of PRIMOPIANOSCALAc?
To reflect on these transformations, we turned to Carlos Moreno, an internationally known urban planner and author of The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time and Our Planet. In this book, Moreno addresses the hows and whys of creating more liveable, lively cities, whose protagonists are communities and technology, so that life in cities unfolds in more than just the city centre. Moreno started thinking about writing a book on the concept of the 15-minute city in the summer of 2020, after what he defines as the second largest planetary crisis after the climate crisis which forced our urban life to transform: the COVID-19 pandemic. Even way back in the early 20th century, many intellectuals were working on the concept of a city for people, but Moreno’s work was some of the first to offer a paradigm for the transition from a centralised to a polycentric urban model also aimed at curbing social exclusion. Moreno explains how urgent it is for us to radically transform our urban lifestyles, because the impact of climate change is visible and staggering. The tragic flooding in Valencia is only the last of numerous examples. Have we forgotten that just one year ago in October 2023 the city of Acapulco, Mexico was destroyed by category-five Hurricane Otis, never before seen in that area, which is why it was impossible to alert citizens and prevent the city from being devastated?
But Moreno’s idea, also defined as “happy proximity”, has been criticised as a conspiracy theory. “A dystopian plan!” according to the cries of thousands of citizens who on 18 February 2023 took to the streets of Oxford to protest against the mobility plan proposed by the City Council and inspired by Moreno’s theories. The Oxford protesters claimed that the City Council’s initiatives would physically isolate them inside their own neighbourhoods because they heavily penalised car travel. Protesters compared restrictions on the circulation of private automobiles in certain city neighbourhoods, regulated using a new license-plate recognition system, to the Orwellian Big Brother. We asked Moreno about these attacks and he sadly replied, “I can neither fully explain them nor excuse them. It is crucial to me to clarify that this city concept is not about restricting freedom or movement but rather enhancing the quality of life by providing more choices and conveniences locally.”
PRIMOPIANOSCALAc’s 2024 cover series is inspired by the works of Romano Gazzera, a Piedmontese painter known for his ‘giant’, ‘talking’, ‘flying’ flowers which, along with other iconographic themes connected to historical and collective memory, characterised and distinguished him as the frontrunner of the Italian Neo-floral school.
For Carlos Moreno, we chose the calla lily, a symbol of simple, sophisticated beauty. It is also associated with rebirth and change because of its upturned cup shape. Just perfect for Moreno, who has dedicated his life to the rebirth of cities and change in urban planning so that all cities can be organised on a human scale.
Mariella Palazzolo
Carlos Moreno is a Franco-Colombian scientist and urban planner. Professor at the Paris IAE - Panthéon Sorbonne University in France, he is also co-founder and scientific director of the ETI (Entrepreneurship - Territory - Innovation) Laboratory. He has conducted research on smart and sustainable cities, and is mainly known for his contribution to the 15-minute city "Ville du quart d’heure" concept. Moreno was born in 1959 in Columbia as the child of rural farmers. His father was illiterate, but ensured that Carlos, and his seven siblings, received an education. In 1975, while a student in Colombia, Moreno joined the left-wing M-19 movement. He then fled to France in 1979 and was granted political refugee status. He graduated from Paris-Sud University in 1983, where he became a researcher and lecturer working in the computer science and robotics laboratory (LIMRO). In 1990, he began working at the Université d’Evry, where he became a Senior Professor. In 1998, a new law on innovation and research in France (the ‘Allegre Law’) enabled researchers to start their own business. Professor Moreno quickly seized this opportunity to rally his best PhD students, capitalise on the critical mass of knowledge they had generated, and find industrial applications for the expertise acquired through intelligent complex systems. His start-up, Sinovia, was created in 1998. Pioneer in his field, in 2006 he turned his attention to cities and developed the concept of the ‘sustainable digital city’. He was named Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2010, and was awarded in 2019 of the Prospective Medal of the Academy of Architecture. He is also a winner of the Obel Award 2021, for his work on urban and territorial proximity and its impact in the world. In November 2021, he won the Leadership Award at the World Smart Cities Awards, organised by the Smart City Expo World Congress.
In 2023, he joined the American Academy of Housing and Communities in recognition of his “great achievements in urban knowledge, wisdom and practice”.
Marco Sonsini
SocialTelos