The 15-minute city has become an internationally recognized concept advocating for a people-centric urban model where residents should be able to meet most of their daily needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their homes. The concept was introduced by Professor Carlos Moreno in 2015 following the COP21 conference in Paris, which concluded with the signing of the Paris Agreement. The idea proposes a practical and adaptable framework for introducing low-carbon mobility and creating a vibrant local economy to support more social interaction and more sustainable urban environments. Since then, the concept has been recognized with the 2021 Obel Award and has gained a notable recommendation in UN-Habitat's World Cities Report. Now, Professor Moreno is publishing the book titled “The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time and Our Planet” to showcase concrete examples and strategies for achieving better cities. ArchDaily had a chance to sit down with Professor Carlos Moreno to discuss these ideas, offering insight into Moreno’s urban thinking and the impact of this model.
Concept: The Latest Architecture and News
World's Largest Timber Structure Unveiled by Anders Berensson Architects
To reduce the “green” half of Sweden’s carbon emissions caused by the forest industries, Anders Berensson Architects have proposed to build the worlds largest timber structure titled the Bank of Norrland. The design aims to store carbon dioxide and a year's worth of timber production, ensuring the continuity of the Swedish construction and manufacturing industries regardless of weather and consumption.
FMZD Imagines Sangan Hotel, a Tent-Like Developement in the North-East of Iran
Farshad Mehdizadeh Design created a hotel in the small city of Sagan, as a conceptual response to the lack of residential and hospitality functions in this newly developed area of Iran. The project consists of a low-rise structure in a 50,000 m2 plot.
Blurred Border, a Conceptual Intervention Where Form Complements the Essence
The Ukrainian based architecture and design firm O.M.SHUMELDA has conceived a conceptual project that embodies a small terminal that draws the borders of the country. Without acting as a separation, Blurred Border is a proposal that impresses and inspires first comers.
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Antony Gibbon Twists Concrete in Twine: Series One
Experimenting with a very rigid material, Antony Gibbon imagines a residential project where the outer concrete shell twists and turns, in order to create livable spaces. With a very basic function, the proposal is an invitation to push technical boundaries and unleash the imagination.
Conceptual Wall of Logs by Christophe Benichou
Christophe Benichou creates “The Wall of Logs”, a new conceptual getaway, a natural solid wall with perforated interiors. The project comes as a counterpoint experience for his previous endeavor Sesame, a solitary monolith, a residence in the open desert.
Modular Housing Concepts by Danish Architects
With the concept of downsizing in mind, Danish architectural company Njordrum is elaborating innovative concepts for housing. Basing their modular design on Scandinavian aesthetics, the office hopes to bring together architecture, nature, light, and people.
Sou Fujimoto and Coldefy & Associés Propose a Sweeping Canopy for French Court House
Sou Fujimoto and Coldefy & Associés Architects Urban Planners’ proposal for a pale sweeping canopy enclosing a stacked glazed volume was among the four finalists for the new Palais de justice in Lille, France organized by the Public Agency for Justice’s Real Estate (APIJ). Though the competition drew 139 international proposals, from which OMA was ultimately selected, Fujimoto and Coldefy & Associés' graceful structure was designed to house the high and district courts as well as public spaces within a facility in dialogue with its natural surroundings.
See the full proposal below.
