The Power of Proximity: Rethinking Access and Equity in the 15-minute City
Proximity-oriented planning aims to reduce car dependence and promote active travel by ensuring essential services are within easy reach. The 15-minute city model embraces this vision, but does it work for everyone? While Dutch cities, particularly in South Holland, are already dense and becoming denser, proximity alone does not guarantee equitable access or behavioral change.
Simply having destinations nearby is insufficient—routes must also be safe, comfortable, and appealing, with perceptions varying by gender, age, and ability. Moreover, not all amenities hold the same value for everyone: supermarkets, general practitioners, and green spaces are widely preferred nearby, while work and leisure locations are less prioritized. Encouraging local living may also have unintended consequences, such as reinforcing spatial segregation by limiting interactions across diverse groups.
This Transport Thursday session will critically explore how proximity shapes mobility and social equity. We will present insights from the Province of South Holland’s study, The Power of Proximity, and introduce an online tool from TU Delft’s Urban Analytics Lab that reveals hidden access inequities and maps encounter potential across demographic groups.
When: Thursday, May 1, 2025, from 15:30 to 18:00 (including Borrel)
Where: TU Delft, Echo Arena
Contact: Achilleas Psyllidis (a.psyllidis@tudelft.nl)
