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Is Newcastle a 15-minute city?

Carlos Moreno is credited with developing the concept of the 15-minute city, which has been successfully applied in the city of Paris. The concept is now being examined by a global coalition of 96 mayors and elected city representatives known as C40 Cities, who are considering the impact of the approach in helping them to deliver the urgent action needed to confront the climate crisis.The C40 group introduce the concept as follows:

“The 15-minute city weaves together strands of climate action and people-centric urban development to create an approach that can help cities of all shapes and sizes live with and recover better from the pandemic. It describes an aspiration for more vibrant, convenient, connected and equitable neighbourhoods.”

Source: https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Introducing-Spotlight-On-15-minute-cities?language=en_US

So, the concept is growing in popularity, and it offers a framework which may help create socially and economically sustainable outcomes in a post-pandemic world threatened by an urgent climate crisis. In this blog I want to examine the progress towards making Newcastle upon Tyne a 15-minute city, explore the challenges which will need to be overcome to achieve it, and suggest solutions so that Newcastle may also move towards the goals set out by the C40 Cities collective.

Firstly, how close is Newcastle to achieving 15-minute city status already? One advantage of the city is that is quite small, and relatively compact. It is quite possible to walk from one part of the City Centre to the other in about 15 minutes, depending on what the definition of the City Centre is. The map below shows the approximate distance covered by 15 minutes walking. The City Centre therefore has many of the elements required for 15-minute cities. Somebody living and working in the City Centre would have very good access to the leisure facilities, retail, green spaces and transport links etc. required to meet the 15-minute city criteria. They would therefore have very little need for a car as most amenities are within 15 minutes’ walk.

Newcastle City Centre: A 15-minute neighbourhood

Beyond the city centre, however, finding neighbourhoods which demonstrate the 15-minute city criteria becomes more challenging. Gosforth is a good example of a neighbourhood which does demonstrate the criteria. It has retail, cultural and entertainment amenities on Gosforth High Street, well maintained public space in Gosforth Central Park, well maintained cycle paths, and frequent Metro and bus connections to the City Centre. Similarly, Jesmond, the Ouseburn area of Byker and Heaton are well set up for those who want to work in the city or centre or work from home. Transport connections are good, public spaces and parks are large and well maintained.

Contrast these neighbourhoods with those in the West of the city such as Elswick, Benwell and Fenham and the image of Newcastle as a 15-minute city overall starts to unravel. These parts of the city are lacking fundamental amenities which other parts of the city take for granted; for example, the Metro system does not extend to this area, shopping, cultural and entertainment facilities are distributed sporadically and are of varying quality. There are no community facilities in these areas: no swimming pools, no theatres, no libraries, and facilities which engage young people are virtually non-existent. Compare the amenities in the green spaces of Benwell’s Hodgkin Park and Denton Dene to those found in Heaton Park and Jesmond Dene and the disparities are obvious.

 

It is encouraging that Newcastle City Council has set a goal to achieve 15-minute city status, but I feel it is time the Council shifts its focus towards improving the underfunded and underprivileged parts of the city in order to achieve this goal. By extending the metro line, improving public spaces and investing in green infrastructure, the West end of the City could become far more appealing to investors and thereby more economically successful.

But the redevelopment and reengagement of these neighbourhoods need not come at a high price as the ethos of the 15 minute-city actively empowers community participation. Secondary schools could be used as cinemas at weekends, Youth groups could use existing healthcare facilities in the evenings, Primary Schools could offer cycling and cycle maintenance classes to encourage more active travel. Community events, steering groups and public participation strategies could all be set up at low cost.

Now, for a look at how Newcastle City Council’s vision for the city in the next 10 years, have a look at this article  https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/massive-developments-change-newcastle-future-19278508 and ask yourself how seriously the Council consider issues such as social mobility, inclusion and sustainable travel. Consider the councils’s real response to the impending climate crisis. Ask yourself also what is really driving the decisions to approve these projects, and how they will actually benefit the people living in Newcastle’s neighbourhoods.

Ironically, Elswick, Central Gateshead and Walker are only about 15 minutes’ walk away from the proposed Newcastle Gateshead Quays. I wonder how many of their residents will benefit from its development.

2 responses to “Is Newcastle a 15-minute city?”

  1. I really enjoyed reading your blog! I have heard of the 15-minute city concept before, but I had never really considered how it applied to Newcastle in particular. Although, I think this concept has great potential– particularly in terms of developing pandemic-resilient cities – I have observed that it is receiving increasing criticism, and I was curious to know how you felt about it. For instance, professor of economics Edward Glaeser (2021) argues that these kinds of cities are a “dead end”, as this concept removes the entire purpose of cities which he argues, is to become places of novelty and opportunity.

    I personally believe that there are elements of the 15-minute neighbourhood that are necessary for the future of our cities. The concept of pedestrianizing cities, for example, is beneficial both for us human beings and the environment. The idea of mixed-use neighbourhoods is also fantastic, since it promotes social cohesion and activity, allowing for an increasing sense of security and safety (thanks to active frontage for instance). However, I do wonder if the concept of the 15-minute neighbourhood will fragment cities further, by incentivising people to not step out of their area.

    Reference
    – Glaeser, E. (2021) The Fifteen Minure Neigbourhood is a dead end. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2021/05/28/the-15-minute-city-is-a-dead-end-cities-must-be-places-of-opportunity-for-everyone/ (accessed 01st December 2021)

    Reply

  2. This blog post, which reviews the 15-minute urban concept by applying it to Newcastle, is very useful and interesting! I agree that it is a good approach to cope with the crisis situation. The concept of a 15-minute city seems to explain well that it can produce socially and economically sustainable results in the post-pandemic world. In addition, the mapping diagram analysing Newcastle was made easy to read, indicating intuitively that convenience facilities were insufficient compared to the Gosford region and western regions such as Elswick, Benwell and Fenham.

    The lack of mobility as well as the lack of community facilities, suggests that Newcastle does not meet the 15-minute city concept. Therefore, the fact that Newcastle is required to invest more to achieve this goal is sad that it seems to be becoming less feasible. Therefore, I think the alternative method suggested in this posting (e.g. school buildings may be used as movie theatres on weekends to secure community facilities) is an attractive feasible method.

    I also want to suggest increasing mobility in a way that Newcastle can get a little closer to the 15-minute City concept. One such temporary urban response that has proven efficient in lockdown cities, where vehicular use had drastically declined, was the inclusion of bicycle lanes to counter the impacts arising from vehicular movement restrictions. (Moreno C et al, 2021)

    The car-centred transportation system caused a temporary decline due to the epidemic. encouraging bicycle use during this pandemic has had numerous benefits including on the health and well-being but also in helping people maintain social contact while observing health protocols and adhering to the long-term goals of sustainability. (Davos J, 2020)

    To increase accessibility, cities around the world are adopting bicycles as a main transportation system and introducing policies to foster them. For example, London’s “Mini-Hollands” is an ambitious program whereby three boroughs were awarded £30 million to transform the neighbourhoods to enable safer and more convenient cycling. Although the initiative is still underway, positive changes have been noticed. 24% of people are more likely to have cycled in the past week – in addition, people are walking or cycling 41 minutes per week more compared to before.

    In Paris, Supported by Carlos Moreno, Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo in early 2020 introduced a comprehensive set of policies to create self-sufficient communities, including a €350 million investment program to create bike lanes on every street by 2024 while removing 60,000 spaces for private car parking.

    As you mentioned in this post, Newcastle community does not have to pay high prices, but if they have to focus on one thing, I think investing in a sustainable transportation system rather than relying on cars or public transportation is a feasible alternative.

    Reference:

    – De Vos, J. The effect of Covid-19 and subsequent social distancing on travel behavior. Transp. Res. Interdiscip. Perspect. 2020, 5, 100121.

    – Moreno, C.; Allam, Z.; Chabaud, D.; Gall, C.; Pratlong, F. Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, Resilience and Place Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities. Smart Cities 2021, 4, 93-111. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010006

    – London Mini Hollands: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/london-mini-hollands

    – Paris’s investment program: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/07/paris-mayor-unveils-15-minute-city-plan-in-re-election-campaign

    Reply

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  1. I really enjoyed reading your blog! I have heard of the 15-minute city concept before, but I had never really considered how it applied to Newcastle in particular. Although, I think this concept has great potential– particularly in terms of developing pandemic-resilient cities – I have observed that it is receiving increasing criticism, and I was curious to know how you felt about it. For instance, professor of economics Edward Glaeser (2021) argues that these kinds of cities are a “dead end”, as this concept removes the entire purpose of cities which he argues, is to become places of novelty and opportunity.

    I personally believe that there are elements of the 15-minute neighbourhood that are necessary for the future of our cities. The concept of pedestrianizing cities, for example, is beneficial both for us human beings and the environment. The idea of mixed-use neighbourhoods is also fantastic, since it promotes social cohesion and activity, allowing for an increasing sense of security and safety (thanks to active frontage for instance). However, I do wonder if the concept of the 15-minute neighbourhood will fragment cities further, by incentivising people to not step out of their area.

    Reference
    – Glaeser, E. (2021) The Fifteen Minure Neigbourhood is a dead end. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2021/05/28/the-15-minute-city-is-a-dead-end-cities-must-be-places-of-opportunity-for-everyone/ (accessed 01st December 2021)

    Reply

  2. This blog post, which reviews the 15-minute urban concept by applying it to Newcastle, is very useful and interesting! I agree that it is a good approach to cope with the crisis situation. The concept of a 15-minute city seems to explain well that it can produce socially and economically sustainable results in the post-pandemic world. In addition, the mapping diagram analysing Newcastle was made easy to read, indicating intuitively that convenience facilities were insufficient compared to the Gosford region and western regions such as Elswick, Benwell and Fenham.

    The lack of mobility as well as the lack of community facilities, suggests that Newcastle does not meet the 15-minute city concept. Therefore, the fact that Newcastle is required to invest more to achieve this goal is sad that it seems to be becoming less feasible. Therefore, I think the alternative method suggested in this posting (e.g. school buildings may be used as movie theatres on weekends to secure community facilities) is an attractive feasible method.

    I also want to suggest increasing mobility in a way that Newcastle can get a little closer to the 15-minute City concept. One such temporary urban response that has proven efficient in lockdown cities, where vehicular use had drastically declined, was the inclusion of bicycle lanes to counter the impacts arising from vehicular movement restrictions. (Moreno C et al, 2021)

    The car-centred transportation system caused a temporary decline due to the epidemic. encouraging bicycle use during this pandemic has had numerous benefits including on the health and well-being but also in helping people maintain social contact while observing health protocols and adhering to the long-term goals of sustainability. (Davos J, 2020)

    To increase accessibility, cities around the world are adopting bicycles as a main transportation system and introducing policies to foster them. For example, London’s “Mini-Hollands” is an ambitious program whereby three boroughs were awarded £30 million to transform the neighbourhoods to enable safer and more convenient cycling. Although the initiative is still underway, positive changes have been noticed. 24% of people are more likely to have cycled in the past week – in addition, people are walking or cycling 41 minutes per week more compared to before.

    In Paris, Supported by Carlos Moreno, Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo in early 2020 introduced a comprehensive set of policies to create self-sufficient communities, including a €350 million investment program to create bike lanes on every street by 2024 while removing 60,000 spaces for private car parking.

    As you mentioned in this post, Newcastle community does not have to pay high prices, but if they have to focus on one thing, I think investing in a sustainable transportation system rather than relying on cars or public transportation is a feasible alternative.

    Reference:

    – De Vos, J. The effect of Covid-19 and subsequent social distancing on travel behavior. Transp. Res. Interdiscip. Perspect. 2020, 5, 100121.

    – Moreno, C.; Allam, Z.; Chabaud, D.; Gall, C.; Pratlong, F. Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, Resilience and Place Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities. Smart Cities 2021, 4, 93-111. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010006

    – London Mini Hollands: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/london-mini-hollands

    – Paris’s investment program: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/07/paris-mayor-unveils-15-minute-city-plan-in-re-election-campaign

    Reply
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    • School of Architecture
    Planning and Landscape
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Tyne and Wear, NE1 7RU

    Telephone: 0191 208 6509

    Email: nicola.rutherford@ncl.ac.uk