Publication in Nature Communications highlights the potential of the 15-minute city for people and biodiversity
The groundbreaking concept of the 15-minute city (Moreno et al. 2021) focuses on the needs of people in their urban environment: mobility, infrastructure, services. People clearly benefit from short distances. This approach is equally valuable for animals and plants that rely on sufficient habitats in their accessible surroundings.
The study conducted at Leibniz University Hannover and Technical University of Munich, by Prof. Dr. Nadja Kabisch, Professor for Digital Landscape Ecology at the Institute of Earth System Sciences in Hannover, and Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer, Professor for Urban Productive Ecosystems in Munich, demonstrates how nature and biodiversity can be integrated into urban life.
This also addresses the growing loss of nature experiences: the relentless demand for housing and infrastructure is driving urbanization. This primarily means sealed surfaces and the loss of open spaces. By incorporating green areas and nature into urban planning, such as small green spaces amidst dense construction, community gardens, small habitat islands, or pop-up projects, the quality of life for people can be improved, and biodiversity can be enhanced. A challenge lies in developing and implementing such concepts fairly and inclusively within the existing urban infrastructure. The aim is to make cities more livable not only for human residents but also for animals and plants, thereby strengthening the relationships between people and nature. The study authors highlight examples and outline building blocks for a climate-resilient and healthy city of the future, emphasizing four key approaches: diversity, density, proximity and technological support. Monitoring is recommended as an important addition to measure both the quality of life and biodiversity outcomes.
- Article in Nature Communications: Resetting the clock by integrating urban nature and its biodiversity into the 15-minute city concept
- Press information Leibniz University: The 15-minute city for humans and nature: A new perspective on urban design
