From Barcelona to NEOM Rise of the 15-Minute City

Imagine living in a neighborhood where your child's school, a health clinic, the local market, a park and even your workplace are all within a 15-minute walk or bicycle ride. That is the idea behind the 15-minute city, a model of urban planning that is gaining popularity around the world.

Urban planners say the concept can help reduce traffic congestion, lower air pollution and improve people's quality of life. Instead of spending hours on the road every day, residents can meet most of their daily needs close to home. Although the term is modern, the idea is not. Many historic cities, including Paris in France, Barcelona in Spain, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Copenhagen in Denmark, Venice in Italy, Kyoto in Japan, Bogotá in Colombia, Portland in the United States and Old Dhaka in Bangladesh, were built around neighborhoods where markets, schools, places of worship and workplaces were within walking distance.

Today, many countries are using the same principles to build the cities of the future. One of the most ambitious examples is NEOM in Saudi Arabia. Its flagship project, The Line, is designed without private cars. Instead, residents will rely on high-speed public transport, while schools, hospitals, shops and entertainment facilities will be only a short walk away.

Indonesia is also building its new capital, Nusantara, with green infrastructure, efficient public transport and neighborhood-based services at its core. In the United Arab Emirates, Masdar City is being developed as a low-carbon city powered by renewable energy and smart technology.

Several planned cities have already shown how this approach can work. Songdo International Business District in South Korea is known for its smart infrastructure, while Putrajaya in Malaysia and Lusail in Qatar have combined housing, public services, green spaces and modern transport through careful planning. Other major projects, including King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia, Egypt's New Administrative Capital, Forest City in Malaysia, and the Telosa and Belmont projects in the United States, are also exploring similar ideas.

Experts believe the 15-minute city is more than an urban planning trend. It is a long-term strategy for creating healthier, greener and more people-friendly communities. As cities continue to grow and the world faces climate change and rising energy costs, bringing essential services closer to people's homes may become one of the most practical solutions for sustainable urban development. For countries like Bangladesh, the idea offers an important lesson. By creating neighborhoods where people can easily access education, healthcare, markets, parks and public transport, cities can become not only more efficient but also safer, healthier and better places to live.