Carlos Moreno’s 15-minute city concept wins 2021 Obel Award
The 15-minute city, an innovative concept in urban planning which has become a global movement, has won the 2021 Obel Award for outstanding architectural contribution to human development. Carlos Moreno, the scientist who came up with the idea of a more liveable and sustainable city, will receive the €100,000 prize, which is awarded annually.
“In my opinion this award is in fact a triple recognition,” said Moreno, associate professor, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. “On the one hand, it is a recognition of my academic work, but secondly, it is a recognition of the international movement generated by the 15-minute city. And thirdly, it is a recognition of the commitment by different mayors around the world in embracing the 15-minute city.”
The idea behind the 15-minute city is that cities should be (re)designed so that all residents are able to access their daily needs – housing, work, food, health, education, culture and leisure – within the distance of a 15-minute walk or bike ride. This greatly reduces car traffic and CO2 emissions and increases the health and well-being of residents.
The goal is to put “each citizen at the centre of his own city”. The model, which can be adjusted to local culture, conditions and needs, has already been implemented with great success in cities like Paris, Chengdu, and Melbourne, generating a global movement.
Vision with the potential to improve the lives of millions
The jury of the Obel Award said that “the 15-minute city addresses the need for us to rethink how cities can be reimagined, redesigned and regenerated for the benefit of people and the environment. It is a beautiful and intuitive vision that has the potential to vastly improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide and to help create a healthier planet”.
Moreno’s revolutionary idea has generated a conversation and a discussion among architects, urban planners and city authorities all over the world. He started working on sustainable digital cities in 2006, developing the concept of a viable platform from which to provide all the services needed to ensure the well-being of the city’s inhabitants.
In 2016 he first coined the term “15-minute city” and in 2020, as scientific advisor to the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, he was the driving force behind the plan to turn Paris into a 15-minute city.
“Today we live in unbreathable cities, cities with levels of stress that are totally unsustainable,” said Moreno. “We need to transform our mobility and we need to change our urban lifestyle.”
The Obel Award for architectural achievement, presented by the Henrik Frode Obel Foundation, started in 2019. Moreno is the third winner of the prize. The award ceremony will take place in Paris on 21 October.
