Infrastructure and accessibility implications of implementing x-minute city policies in low-density contexts

Bibliographic Data

ID7174010
AuthorsSteve Pemberton (0000-0003-2496-1968, La Trobe University, corresponding author), Tayebeh Saghapour (0000-0003-3157-0287, La Trobe University), Billie Giles-Corti (0000-0003-0102-0225, The University of Western Australia), Mahsa Abdollahyar (0009-0002-1222-9833, La Trobe University), Alan Both (0000-0003-4021-9632, La Trobe University), Daniel Pearson (0000-0001-6646-7461, La Trobe University), Catherine Higgs (0000-0002-5903-9095, La Trobe University), Afshin Jafari (0000-0001-5153-2179, La Trobe University), Dhirendra Singh (0000-0001-8369-8878, CSIRO Manufacturing), Lucy Gunn (0000-0002-9309-3626, La Trobe University), James Woodcock (0000-0003-4769-5375, MRC Epidemiology Unit), Belen Zapata-Diomedi (0000-0002-9238-0375, La Trobe University)
Year2025
Volume171
Pages106717-106717
Publication date2025-12-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0264-2751 • E-ISSN: 1873-6084
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.cities.2025.106717
OpenAlexW4417334892
LanguageEN
References cited46

Addressing priorities such as health, liveability, and climate resilience, many global governments are exploring x-minute city and x-minute neighbourhood policies. Addressing a lack of operational models for x-minute cities, we developed a model to assess accessibility and utilisation implications of their implementation, testing the model by applying it to the low-density city of Melbourne, Australia, where 20-minute neighbourhood (20MN) policy focuses on walkable access to daily destinations within 10 minutes (20 minute round trip), and applying the model to people living within 10-minute walking distance ‘catchments’ of mixed-use activity centres. We curated a list of 14 destination types (such as supermarkets and primary schools), and developed a method to model notional placement of additional destinations to place at least 80 % of people in each catchment within a 10-minute walk of each destination type. We extended accessibility considerations to cycling, based on a 10-minute one-way ride. Our results show improvements in accessibility across the city as a whole, particularly in inner urban areas; but with significant improvements in outer urban areas, characterised by low housing density, when cycling is promoted. Our utilisation analysis demonstrates feasibility challenges when implementing x-minute city policies in less densely populated locations. Our conclusions underscore the importance of supporting x-minute city policies with safe cycling infrastructure and careful urban densification strategies. Our findings are relevant to many cities seeking to implement x-minute city or neighbourhood policies worldwide, especially cities facing challenges of low density. • Development of methods to model implementation of x-minute scenarios • Methods demonstrated in a low-density city with walkable 20-min neighbourhood policy • Highest accessibility benefits accrue to parts of city where activity centres are clustered • New destinations likely to be underutilised in low-density areas • Densification and cycling strategies required to support x-minute city policies

Catchment area · Destinations · Neighbourhood (mathematics) · Notional amount · Urban design · Urban planning · Urban policy · Walkability · Human Mobility and Location-Based Analysis · Older Adults Driving Studies · Urban Transport and Accessibility

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