Australia has fallen off the 15-minute city map – see how close your capital came

Imagine this: public transport, the post office, parks, shops, restaurants, bars and even your local GP, all just a short walk away. It sounds like the Australian dream – but unfortunately, it remains a dream given that Australia officially has no ‘15-minute cities’.

A 15-minute city is an urban planning concept where everyday essentials and services can be reached within a quarter-hour walk or bike ride from anywhere in a city. It’s gained traction in recent years as a solution for developing healthier and more sustainable urban spaces, cutting down car dependency, and boosting the quality of life for city dwellers. 

A recent study by Nature Cities, a Sony Computer Science Laboratories research team in Italy, analysed 10,000 cities worldwide to see which have successfully achieved the 15-minute city model. In Australia, not a single city made the cut – though a few came super close.

Missing the mark by just one minute was Australia’s smallest capital city, Hobart. Thanks to its compact size, residents here should be within a 16-minute walk or a six-minute ride from outdoor activities, education, cultural hubs, restaurants and healthcare. 

Melbourne and Canberra trailed closely at 17 minutes, while Sydney and Adelaide were both classified as 19-minute cities. Hey, having five 20-minute cities in our country is still quite an achievement.

Brisbane is the furthest from achieving the status of a 15-minute city in Australia, clocking in at an average of 25 minutes. While the city centre is within convenient walking distance of essential amenities and services, its four other urban centres average a walk time of 30 minutes or more.

Thanks to its compact and dense urban designs, Europe reigned supreme as the region with the most 15-minute cities. Switzerland in particular stood out, with Geneva ranking as the world’s number one 15-minute city, where most residents live within a five-minute walk to all the necessary services. Like Australia, no cities in the United States qualified, an outcome shared by most cities in Africa, Asia and South America. You can find out how your city fared here.

Here’s how Australia ranked in the ‘15-minute city’ study:

1. Hobart – 16 minutes
2. Melbourne –17 minutes
3. Canberra – 17 minutes
4. Sydney – 19 minutes
5. Adelaide – 19 minutes
6. Darwin – 22 minutes
7. Perth – 24 minutes
8. Brisbane – 25 minutes

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