A 20-minute Neighborhood

 

This is a very simple idea, a neighborhood in which we can all get the goods and services we need within a twenty minute walk of our house. 

The core of a 20-minute neighborhood is its walkability and priority given to pedestrians. 800 meters (about half a mile) is the distance of a 20-minute neighborhood or 20 minutes in time.

The idea originated in Portland, Oregon, and has been taken up by Melbourne in Australia.

Research undertaken by the Heart Foundation (Victoria) for the Victorian Government identified the following hallmarks of a 20-minute neighborhood

A 20-minute Neighborhood must: 

• Be safe, accessible and well connected for pedestrians and cyclists to optimise active transport 
• Offer high-quality public realm and open space 
• Provide services and destinations that support local living 
• Facilitate access to quality public transport that connects people to jobs and higher-order services 
• Deliver housing/population at densities that make local services and transport viable 
• Facilitate thriving local economies

The Strategies include: 

• Movement Network - Install safe school crossings 
• Housing Diversity - Review residential zoning 
• Destinations - Streetscape improvements 
• Public Open Space - Improve access to local parks 
• Community Infrastructure - Upgrade facilities 
• Sense of Place - Install public art with youth groups 
• Healthy Food - Investigate a community garden