As pressures increase for (re)development in urban areas in the face of demand for affordable housing, environmental concerns and changing patterns of employment, open public spaces are constantly having to compete against other land uses. As cities also face calls for reclaiming public space for public use as crucial to the social sustainability and wellbeing of urban living, urban planners and developers seek to find a balance between economic development, environmental challenges and social expectations of residents.

I have already written several pieces here on the idea of the 15-minute city, currently much in vogue in city planning in numerous cities around the world. One of the claims of advocates of the concept is that by ‘living locally’ there can be increased sense of place and place identity and stronger social cohesion among residents.  These are usually claimed to be as a result of greater use of public spaces, more active travel and reduced car dependency and more frequent social contact through the use of local shops and facilities.

The Scottish Government has recently announced a public consultation on the inclusion of ‘the 20-minute neighborhood’ concept within the latest version of its National Planning Framework, which provides guidance to local authorities for the future development in their areas. It is part of the Scottish Government’s drive to promote ‘living locally’ as a means of building sustainable and resilient communities and helping to achieve zero-carbon targets.

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