15-minute cities: mundane planning concept or global conspiracy?

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2023

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s architecture and design critic, Oliver Wainwright, about why the relatively obscure concept of the 15-minute city has become a magnet for conspiracy theories in recent weeks. And hears from Dr Richard Dunning about how the theory can be implemented in a way that’s fair to all residents. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Guardian.
0:09.0	Ignite the Explorer and you, and plan your next trip to Texas, where outer space meets fast deserts,
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0:30.0	uncover more at the Guardian.com
0:32.0	forward slash Discover Texas.
0:33.8	This message was paid for by Travel Texas.
0:35.9	Visit Austin.
0:36.8	Visit Dallas.
0:37.7	Visit Houston and visit Fort Worth. Here in the UK local planning policies have the tendency to get people a little riled up.
0:57.0	But they don't usually spark global conspiracy theories. And yet... and yet last weekend that's exactly what happened a previously niche
1:10.1	concept for towns and cities became a lightning rod for paranoia and protests.
1:17.0	Creepy local authority bureaucrats would like to see your entire existence boiled down to the
1:23.4	the duration of a quarter of an hour.
1:25.6	You in your area will only be allowed within that 15 minute zone
1:29.7	that you've been allocated.
1:31.3	Will the leader please set aside some time in this house for a debate on the international
1:35.7	socialist concept of so-called 15 minutes cities?
1:38.7	Yes, stand up for your rights and stop being puppets of the government. So what is the 15 minute city and why is it becomes so controversial?
1:53.0	We'll tell you in the time it takes to pop to the shops.
1:58.0	From the Guardian, I'm Madeline Finley, and this is Science Weekly.
	...

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