# How 15-minute is your city?

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2025-11-22

15-minute-city, urbanism, planning, walkability, mobility

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We all know the concept. Now [here's an interactive map](https://whatif.sonycsl.it/15mincity/index.php) that allows you to explore cities around the world and see how 15-minute they are. In the default case, it is based on how many points of interest somebody could walk to in under 15 minutes (but there's also a bike toggle). A blue cell means the walk time is less than 15 minutes. And a red cell means it's greater than 15 minutes.

Here's Toronto:

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/0e89198cbefd49ea191b472bbbaf95d0052ffcfa695999da6fbe1d45817ae340.png)

Salt Lake City:

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/3bcec0bf0d0add4f6fac273c7d9a771435d611eea0426c2d3b74bd3be791c2f1.png)

Houston:

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/a4dff0e18d2dd0811f511416c822c9a1338386b1c091576812baa3ac0d771b60.png)

Miami:

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/ce54b89fa9ed3b12eca1a14c38164051a0b24b1b1c9a38fed83629840e492641.png)

Paris:

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/6cf9d305533d7e23b7ca136abad39c54fd6ff5d85283134c7a73d3e6f4c370bd.png)

Tokyo:

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/6b9aed7f059aec9dba32ef69a1eb9cac3857b1ea97a6adb9e5f8f56d60f67b51.png)

I tried not to adjust the scale at all, but the amount of blue/red you see will depend on the cropping of each map. Still, it's pretty clear that Tokyo and Houston are not the same kind of city. What a contrast.

In some cases, though, I think the blue areas could be, in a way, overstated. Technically, I'm sure the data is right, but practically speaking, a blue area may not be very pedestrian oriented, meaning most people still drive. This is where good urban design factors. A 15-minute walk will feel very different depending on what you're walking on and through.

_Maps from_ [_15-min-City_](https://whatif.sonycsl.it/15mincity/index.php)_; cover photo by_ [_HANVIN CHEONG_](https://unsplash.com/@hktram0311?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) _on_ [_Unsplash_](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-couple-of-people-crossing-a-street-in-front-of-a-building-1pPwxNQmqD0?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/how-15-minute-is-your-city)*