I recently heard a podcast about the 15 minute city. Fifteen minute cities are an urban planning idea where you could have (mostly) all your basic needs accessible within a 15 minute walk, transit ride, or bike ride. With most cities in the US being pretty car dependent, this seems like a very foreign concept for most of us, but there are places in the US that are focusing on having more walkable neighborhoods. Personally, I need to get in the car to pretty much go anywhere! But this got me wondering... could Tucson be the next 15 minute city?
In the past, the Tucson City Council has considered taking certain measures to bring us closer to this idea. As part of their Climate Action Plan, they would like to implement more protected bike lanes, more frequent bus stops, and a new electric car sharing program. Some of these things could definitely make Tucson more accessible for many, but I think it would take a lot more than that to make us a true 15 minute city.
Honestly, I don't think Tucson will ever be a true 15 minute city, and that's ok. We are a town of sprawling suburbs and that is just generally not conducive to being a walkable place with amenities close by. I do think taking steps to lower our carbon footprint and make transportation more accessible would be great! But for now at least, I'm definitely not ready to give up my car!