The 15-minute city explained, and why the -2-

McNamara says that Mayor Justin Bibb talks often about his grandmother, who lived in a tightknit neighborhood where aging in the community was the norm. "I'm thrilled that successful aging, active aging, aging in the neighborhood are all values he holds high," McNamara says.

So, closer services, stronger communities, more green spaces, walking and biking to places we need to go and less pollution - you'd think everyone would be on board. But there is a strong backlash against the 15-minute idea that is likely to grow when Moreno's book is published in English in May. I divide the opposition into two camps.

Plus: New York is the No. 1 most walkable city in America. But here are other U.S. cities where you can live happily without a car.

Conspiracists see trouble

There are those who descend from the antivaxers and climate deniers, who insist that 15-minute cities are meant to trap residents in "Hunger Games"-style districts, restricting their movement and ruining their lives. USA Today's fact checkers demolish this silliness.

Then there are more considered voices, like the chair of Harvard's economics department Edward Glaeser, who worries that the 15-minute city runs counter to a city's main purpose: mixing different populations and encouraging geographic, economic and social mobility.

You'll make your own assessment of his arguments. But I prefer the optimism of Carlos Moreno: "The momentum behind this concept is indicative of a significant shift in how we understand and shape our urban environments for future generations," he says when I ask about the doubters.

"The most important thing for me, and it's the only thing that matters, is that we have mayors from all political backgrounds across the world...who are committed to this path."

And now, I've got to head out to buy some vegetables for my stir fry tonight. Back in a jiff.

Read next: This is your brain on nature: How to get '15 minutes of forest' daily to improve your health-even in the city

Steve Mencher lives with his wife in a 15-minute community in Baltimore. He is a writer and multimedia producer who has developed stories, films, podcasts and websites for the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the Defense Department and AARP. He's the founding producer of "Living Downstream: The Environmental Justice Podcast." Early in his career, he worked for NPR and Carnegie Hall.

This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org, (c)2024 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. All rights reserved.

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