This research addresses an overlooked dimension in 15-minute city debates by challenging the assumption that spatial proximity guarantees equitable access to urban services. We examine four case study neighbourhoods in which characteristics associated with the 15-minute city emerge as a lived condition shaped by socio-economic exclusion and restricted mobility, rather than as the outcome of deliberate planning. Using a mixed-methods approach, we combine spatial analysis, amenity mapping, and a mobility survey of 300 residents with logit models to examine who is able – or forced – to live within a 15-minute radius and why. Our findings reveal that while proximity, density, and diversity exist, poor service quality, limited digital connectivity, and insecure livelihoods constrain meaningful access. Hyper-proximity emerges not from choice but from necessity, with essential activities such as accessing healthcare and employment often occurring beyond the neighbourhood. Social identities – including gender, age, and migration status – shape mobility patterns and reinforce exclusion. We argue that planning for the 15-minute city in contexts of informality and inequality must go beyond spatial metrics to assess the quality and distribution of services. The paper offers critical insights for more just urban and transport planning that centre on non-motorised infrastructure and context-specific access strategies.
Nieto-Combariza et al. (Tue,) studied this question.