The idea that everyone should have basic amenities within a 15-minute walk from their home shouldn’t be a controversial one.
It’s a simple urban-planning idea that proposes that we make cities more accessible to everyone.
However, conspiracy theorists, led by right-wing commentators, are using the idea to push false claims about restrictions on freedoms and surveillance technology.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper is the latest figure to conflate the 15-minute city with a right-wing conspiracy theory, which he did during his speech at the Conservative Party Conference.
In his speech, he said: “I’m calling time on the misuse of so-called 15-minute cities. There’s nothing wrong with making sure people can walk or cycle to the shops or school, that’s traditional town planning.
“But what is different, what is sinister and what we shouldn’t tolerate, is the idea that local councils can decide how often you go to the shops, and that they ration who uses the road and when, and they police it all with CCTV.”
He said: “So today, I am announcing that the Government will investigate what options we have in our toolbox to restrict overzealous use of traffic-management measures, including cutting off councils from the DVLA database if they don’t follow the rules.”
So how did an award-winning urban-planning idea derail into a right-wing surveillance state conspiracy theory?
What is a 15-minute city?
A 15-minute city is an urban-planning idea that households in cities should have amenities, like a doctor, school, and local shop, for example, within a 15-minute walk.
People would be able to get to work and visit cultural facilities within a short walk or cycle.
The idea is that 15-minute cities are accessible to everyone, without the need to drive.
While the aim of the 15-minute city is to create more accessible and enjoyable places to live, it would, as a result, decrease the need for cars, creating less emissions.
The urban-planning model was developed by French-Colombian scientist Carlos Moreno and won the Obel Award for 2021.
Moreno first introduced the idea in 2016, but it was popularised in 2020 by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, as part of her re-election campaign, according to Dezeen. Moreno served as scientific advisor on the campaign.
Why have conspiracy theorists co-opted the idea of a 15-minute city?
Conspiracy theorists have jumped on the 15-minute city idea and are spreading false claims that the idea means that people will be confined to a 15-minute radius of their house, unable to travel to another part of their city, or out of their city.
They are claiming that the idea is being pushed to keep people confined to their homes, only allowed to leave their area a limited number of times a year, as long as they have a permit.
The people who believe the theory have appeared to conflate the idea of a 15-minute city with traffic restrictions.
Jordan Peterson said on Twitter: “The idea that neighbourhoods should be walkable is lovely.
“The idea that idiot tyrannical bureaucrats can decide by fiat where you’re ‘allowed’ to drive is perhaps the worst imaginable perversion of that idea--and, make no mistake, it’s part of a well-documented plan.”
Katie Hopkins is among those falsely claiming that licence-plate recognition and electronic gates will force people to remain in their neighbourhoods.
Hopkins used the example of the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Oxford to share the misinformation.
What’s happening in Oxford?
In July 2022, after consulting with the public, Oxford’s council decided to make a few LTNs permanent.
LTNs reduce the number of cars passing through residential streets and have been around since the 1960s.
Traffic filters will be installed in certain areas, which means private cars will need to apply for permits to pass through. The traffic filters will remain accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, and emergency vehicles.
Oxford City Council explained its decision in a statement and said: “Our aim is to reduce traffic levels and congestion, make the buses faster and more reliable, and make cycling and walking safer and more pleasant.
“Oxford needs a more sustainable, reliable, and inclusive transport system for everyone, particularly for the 30 per cent of our households who do not own a car.”
Five people were arrested when thousands of Oxford residents who oppose LTNs protested in February.
Not everyone protesting the LTNs in Oxford believes in the conspiracy theory, though. The LTNs have generally been controversial in their own right, as some people claim they harm businesses and restrict motorists’ freedom.
Separately from the LTN scheme, Oxford adopted the 15-minute city concept into its Local Plan 2040, a report published in September 2022.
As a result, some conspiracy theorists have conflated the LTN controversy with the idea of the 15-minute city.
So what’s the truth about 15-minute cities?
It’s true that Oxford’s LTNs will restrict motorists from driving on certain routes at certain times of day without a permit.
But residents will still be able to access any area of the city they choose via any other method of transportation.
The idea of a 15-minute city means that people will have everything they need within a short walk or cycle, without the need to drive.
No part of the 15-minute city idea suggests that residents will be restricted to their neighbourhood, subjected to surverillance, nor that cars will be banned.
