WHEN TIME IS NOT OF THE ESSENCE: SLOWNESS AND CERTAINTY BEYOND THE 15 MINUTE CITY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION What if our cities’ structures (i.e., its streetscape and movement spaces) were not defined temporally (i.e., by proximity and time of travel), but rather by connectivity to place and others within place? This question is of increasing significance in the context of urban discourse, with increasing calls for a 15-minute city1 and related paradigms2 structured around a 10-minute walking / 15-minute biking radius, prioritizing human-paced travel supportive of environmental concerns and inhabitants’ wellbeing. Such human-scaled paradigms are positioned in marked opposition to the car as the measuring device of urban structure. Prompted by questions on a proposed3 health centre in the city centre of Plymouth, UK, and outside the key neighbourhood of Stonehouse it was meant to serve, we investigated the health centre’s perceived accessibility. Through narrative inquiry and co-joined mapping we explored Stonehouse residents’ current movement to the city centre. Emergent from our investigation is a suggestion that time is not of the essence for urban structure, and more significant is enabling connectivity to place and others. Within this text we will explore four components. First, we will situate our investigation in the context of Plymouth and Stonehouse. Second, we will outline our research methodology, grounded in narrative inquiry and mapping. Third, we will review the findings arising from our investigation. Fourth, we will consider possible trajectories emergent from our investigation.