Discussions about the 15-minute city came back into circulation, not that they had completely gone away, with the world-renowned The Economist highlighting a study done by Nature Cities which mapped the cities of the world on their ability and propensity to achieve the mark. Expectedly, Paris made the grade given all the efforts that have gone into turning the French capital into the model 15-minute city. As the name goes, it means that people in cities find all essential services and spaces within their neighbourhoods – reachable in 15 minutes by foot or bicycles.

Mumbai, in this study, was quite far away from its potential in becoming a 15-minute city. Is it really that? Were a large number of areas in the city not already living and throbbing examples of the concept much before the idea excited urbanists in the western world? When was the last time we stepped out of our homes and chose to commute long distances to get our essential supplies or use amenities? How far is your neighbourhood kirana store?

Think hard about commutes in Mumbai. A long-distance commute many of us make is for our work or job purposes because commercial centres and business districts, the work hubs, are concentrated in certain areas. These areas, like the good old Churchgate and the mint new Bandra Kurla Complex, do have accommodation but it tends to be prohibitively expensive for most, several times more than monthly take-home median salaries. Very few people working in the area can afford to live there unless you are in the exalted top tier management. Even then, your service providers, people who work in your home, cannot afford to.

Another reason people........

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