Imagine Detroit as a “15 Minute City” where people could access most of their daily needs within a 15 minute walk, bike ride, or public transit trip. Some city officials are excited about the possibility.
Antoine Bryant heads up Detroit’s planning department and says he’s focused on improving life in the city’s neighborhoods. Guided by the principles of the 15 Minute City, Bryant says he’s working to bring services closer to residents, although he admits aspects of Detroit do present a challenge.
“You have a much higher percentage of single-family neighborhoods, right? So even if some of the houses are still being rented, the fabric is of a single-family model. And so you have more of your commercial opportunities are stretched along arterials as opposed to directly in the middle of the community.”
Don’t forget Detroit is the Motor City, where car culture is in its DNA.
Bryant says several expansion projects are in the works, including the Joe Lewis Greenway, a 27-mile loop through the city, and the “People Mover,” which provides transportation around downtown Detroit.
Some critics of the 15 Minute City idea believe it could curtail individual freedoms and create restrictions, while others say the idea runs counter to a city’s main purpose, which is to mix different populations and encourage mobility.
