Capitals: Agencies
A recent study has shown that European cities such as Zurich and Dublin are easier for people to walk in and more livable than their American counterparts, as more than 95% of their residents can access basic services within 15 minutes on foot. According to what was reported by the Youm7 website from the Middle East News Agency
The study, published in the Nature Cities magazine, revealed that more than 95% of European cities can access basic services such as access to health care services, schools and commercial markets, within 15 minutes on foot or by bike.
In contrast, the study reveals that only 2.5% of the residents of cities such as San Antonio in the US state of Texas have easy access to these same services, according to what was reported by the British newspaper /The Guardian/.
The study showed that only a small portion of the 10,000 cities around the world can be called "15-minute cities", where residents can access basic services on foot or by bike. The study’s researchers selected 54 cities to explore in detail, and found that mid-sized European cities such as Zurich, Milan, Copenhagen and Dublin had the best access to basic services. In contrast, sprawling, car-heavy North American cities such as San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta and Detroit came in at the bottom of the rankings.

The study’s researchers developed a mathematical method to explore how much change would be needed for cities to become more accessible to basic services within 15 minutes. They found that a city like Atlanta would need to redistribute 80% of its facilities to achieve a more equitable distribution among its population, while Paris would need to redistribute just 10% of its facilities.

Higault Piaget, a co-author of the study, noted that the goal of the study was not to destroy cities and redistribute their services, explaining: “We are looking for ways to improve the lives of most people.”

The idea of ​​the “15-minute city” has come under attack in recent years from those who see it as an attempt to control people’s movement and restrict their freedom. These criticisms have alarmed scientists, urban planners and doctors who see reducing reliance on cars as an effective way to improve people’s health and safety. Nathalie Muller, an environmental epidemiologist at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, explained that reducing reliance on cars, encouraging public transport and increasing green spaces are all factors that contribute to improving the quality of the urban environment. The study concluded that while European cities are leading the way in making their urban environments more accessible, there is still much to be done to reduce reliance on cars and achieve healthier and more livable cities.