I think this is mostly confusing the 15 minute city with a 15 minute district surrounded by spread out bullshit, which is what we have now and is what the 15 minute city concept proposes to fix. I'm not saying there isn't nuances here as per no true scotsman or cases where it works out like that but I don't think it's good analysis.

[–] itappearsthat@hexbear.net 17 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I disagree it's what we have now in the US. The downtown core is generally just office buildings with not too many street-level amenities or even housing. Places that have started to convert parts of the spread-out bullshit into 15 minute cities (which is how the process will occur, we have to deal with existing city design and cannot start fresh) see astonishing levels of gentrification in those parts.

[–] came_apart_at_Kmart@hexbear.net 27 points 6 months ago

a lot of people don't want to recognize how fantastic and unrealistic their perceived community is in the US.

that the steady supply of beaten down and forced-smile service sector workers who make their lives functional, appealing and b'treated are hauled in and trucked out daily from not-so-close, destitute places of the dislocated, without many of the basic features of civic life they take for granted in their glittering hubs and enclaves.

the geography of class conflict is some real shit.

[–] 7bicycles@hexbear.net 14 points 6 months ago

Places that have started to convert parts of the spread-out bullshit into 15 minute cities (which is how the process will occur, we have to deal with existing city design and cannot start fresh) see astonishing levels of gentrification in those parts.

The road to the 15 minute city might be littered with 15 minute districts but again I feel like there's an important distinction to be made here. The 15 minute district is just gentrification, as noted, already happening. The 15 minute city would be rather liberating.