The 15-Minute City Is Saving My Life

The Open Streets program encourages students to walk and bike to school in an effort to get people out of their cars. Opting for a form of “active transport,” like walking and biking, helps get people moving, offers more social connection and is better for the environment.

Generous Design Africa works to reduce plastic pollution through upcycling and recycling. The group recycles plastic and makes products like rulers, cups, and buttons, that are sold for profit. Generous Design Africa also holds two monthly trainings to teach locals about plastic recycling and the dangers of plastic pollution. So far, more than 100 people have attended the training.

The Final Mile project built 335 miles of bike lanes across five U.S. cities in 24 months to provide more transportation options outside of driving cars and make bike riding more accessible, thus addressing the urgent climate crisis, equitable access to goods and services and public health.

The Park East freeway teardown was completed 20 years ago and opened up 24 acres of prime real estate that has since seen increased property values, more space for pedestrians and recreation and has generated over $1 billion in private investment. The teardown has also resulted in less vehicle emissions in the area and further development and revitalization of the surrounding neighborhoods. Now, other areas in the city are turning to the success of the Park East teardown to inspire more freeway removals.

Pedal Ahead provides low-income locals access to e-bikes at no initial cost, while agreeing to ride an average of five miles a day, track and share rides for a study, and secure their own bike insurance. If the participants successfully complete the program after two years, they own the bike. Since its launch, the organization distributed over 400 bicycles across the county.

Cars are Europe’s second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and the leading killer of children. In recent years, Paris has implemented an array of measures to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and transit while reducing car use. As a result, car use has dropped about 45% since 1990, the use of public transit has risen by 30% and the share of cyclists has increased tenfold.

Green Means Go identifies central parts of cities called “Green Zones” and then makes efforts to increase infill housing where services already exist for residents and improve access to alternative, more “green" modes of transportation, and reduce commute times. Less vehicle commuting means fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Out of 28 local jurisdictions, 23 have already adopted Green Zones.

City Plants, an organization in Los Angeles, is partnering with other nonprofits, government agencies, scientists, and residents to create a more equitable urban forest throughout the city. By working together and using technology, they have planted more than 65,000 trees to combat climate change, systemic racism, and high temperatures that affect all Angelenos.

With rising temperatures occurring all over the world, cities are implementing plans to combat heat waves and protect its residents. The city of Ahmedabad in India has been a model for heat resiliency after it created its first heat action plan that centered around “community-focused social measures.” Because of the plan, a 2015 heat wave resulted in fewer than 20 fatalities compared with thousands of deaths in previous years. Other cities like New York City are also participating in heat resiliency efforts aimed at protecting all of its residents.

In booming cities across India, residents and nonprofits are fighting to save trees from rampant development. One protest in Delhi brought 1,500 citizens out, stalling a proposal to fell 14,000 trees in the city. And the Center for Environmental Research and Education in Mumbai plant's new trees with an unusually high survival rate of 90 percent. But to stem destruction, these groups must help city planners and politicians understand the many benefits that urban trees provide.