By Tim Schaefer, Sunnyside Resident
The 15-Minute City is an urban design concept where most of your daily activities can be accomplished within a 15 min human-powered journey from your home.
This concept has been around for some time but in recent years it has received more attention after the mayor of Paris moved the 15 min approach to the forefront in that city’s urban plan. Other cities, including Edmonton, have also adopted the 15 min approach with the motivation to make more vibrant and liveable cities where people are less dependent on cars.
Is Hillhurst Sunnyside a 15-Minute Neighbourhood? To answer this question let’s look at the distance you can cover in 15 min and whether most daily activities could be accomplished in that space.
The average walking speed for adults is 5 km/h. This means in 15 min you should be able to travel 1.25 km. For simplicity and to factor different walking abilities, let’s round that down to 1 km. How far will a 1 km walk get you in Hillhurst Sunnyside?
Looking at a map of our neighbourhood (see map image), we have a uniquely shaped space that is bounded by the Bow River to the South, McHugh Bluff to the NE and a number of streets on the NW and West sides. Strangely enough, it kind of looks like a stocky bird with a big head and long beak pointing East!
Despite the neighbourhood’s funny shape, there is a geographic center positioned in Kensington at the corner of 3 Ave and 10 St NW. Coincidentally, this spot is also adjacent to two grocery stores as well as several shops and restaurants. These are all typical destinations for your daily needs. For the purposes of answering the question whether Hillhurst Sunnyside is a 15-Minute Neighbourhood, we’ll use the corner of 3 Ave and 10 St NW as the evaluation point.
Drawing a 1 km radius circle from this center point (see map image again), almost all of the neighbourhood is covered with the exception of the outer edges.
What this means is YES, Hillhurst Sunnyside is almost entirely a 15-Minute Neighbourhood just by walking! Within this space we have shops, restaurants, grade schools for our kids and SAIT for post-secondary studies. We also have good sidewalks on our streets to reach everything by foot. For those living outside the 1 km radius, human powered wheeled options like bikes and scooters bring you into the 15 min fold.
Map of Hillhurst Sunnyside with 1 km radius circle centered at corner of 3 Ave and 10 St NW
Let’s not forget, not everyone is able to walk very far, let alone 1 km each way. This is where human powered wheeled options, particularly e-powered assisted options become great tools in breaking down societal barriers. They allow people with mobility challenges to also enjoy the 15 min approach without having to use a car.
Wheeled options also extend the range of 15 mins for all abilities. When riding a bicycle or e-bike, with a typical speed of 20 km/h, the radius extends to 5 km! This range brings the entire downtown area of Calgary into the fold of our 15-Minute Neighbourhood. Despite recent challenges, Downtown Calgary remains a very large employment center, plus many more shops and businesses that you might consider as part of your daily routine.
Biking is also a great option for anyone who runs on a tight schedule and wants to stick to active mobility options for transportation. With a typical bicycle speed, you can cover 1 km in about 3 or 4 min. This is practically the same time required to run to the grocery store if you were to drive your car!
This is where the City’s 5A Network Plan comes into play, by allowing people to safely complete active mobility trips within the neighbourhood and live the 15-Minute City lifestyle if they choose.
*To read the full details of the 5A Network, click here