The 15-Minute City

Is Toronto a 15-minute city? Nope. Not yet at least. Why?

Well first the definition of 15-minute city. 

The 15-minute city is an urban approach where cities are designed for residents of the city to be able to reach all their needs and destinations within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or public transit ride. 

Even though Toronto is full of diversity, in regard to amenities. The basic city layout Toronto currently follows has the downtown core as the location where most people need to go, but many people live in the suburbs. Travel to the downtown core from the suburbs is definitely not 15 minutes. It is the norm to minus a couple hours from your day to account for travel in Toronto.

Currently, only a quarter of Torontonians experience the approach of the 15-minute city. No need to be disheartened however, Toronto does have urban design plans in the works to expose the 15-minute city approach to more of its community.

As the push for sustainability continues to grow in importance, so will Toronto’s urban design strategies. Let us manifest for a prosperous city in the future, where the majority of Toronto’s residents enjoy the convenience and sustainability of the 15-minute city.