Zurich, the Swiss financial capital, comes out top but others are not far behind.
The 15 Minute City is an urban planning concept in which most daily necessities and services, such as work, shopping, education, healthcare, and leisure can be easily reached by a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or public transit ride from any point in the city. This approach aims to reduce car dependency, promote healthy and sustainable living, and improve wellbeing and quality of life for city dwellers.
According to a new study published in the journal Nature, 99 percent of Zurich's residents live within a 15 minute walk of key amenities, including schools, hospitals, parks, and shops. Milan, Copenhagen, Dublin, and Turin were the only other cities where more than 95 percent of residents could make the same claim.
The 15 minute city concept - having daily amenities conveniently close by - has blossomed in popularity in recent years amid a rise in home working and active travel. Among the cities to have embraced the idea is Paris, which has since been crisscrossed with cycle lanes. It was the highest-ranking large city in the study.
The research was conducted by Sony Computer Science Laboratories, which assessed some 10,000 cities. Take a look at this global map that was published by the researchers to show how close (or not) places are to becoming 15 minute cities.