The expansion of local public transport has been an essential prerequisite for a climate-friendly mobility transition and traffic-calmed living space in cities for years. However, many people distrust local public transport in Corona times and switch to cars. The fear of getting infected in fully occupied subways and buses is too great. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, is addressing this problem with the concept of the “15 – minute city”, writes Technology Review in its new January issue (available at the well-stocked kiosk or can be ordered online).

Living, working, leisure and urban facilities are then evenly distributed over the urban area, so that they are within 15 minutes on foot or by bike. These and other urban development ideas reduce the need for long journeys through urban areas and make cities more pandemic-resilient.

Instead of expanding local public transport, the frequency for shorter journeys could also be increased increase – the university town of Tübingen, in which over 25. 000 students live, reduced the number of Passengers per vehicle on some bus routes as a response to the corona situation.

Impetus towards such an infection-resilient 15 – minute city could currently generating the coronavirus themselves – if urban developers take the opportunity: In the past few decades, the centers of large cities have been transformed into huge shopping areas that are orphaned after the shops close. Due to the corona-related upswing that online retail is currently experiencing, retail giants such as Karstadt or Kaufhof are now closing numerous locations.

So far, the pressure of the real estate market with return-driven investments in the centers has prevented a revival and new living space, says Arno Bunzel, head of urban development research at the German Institute for Urban planning, now a chance: “I advise cities to consider purchasing apartments as a stimulus for a revitalization.”

( vsz)