Experts question whether 15-minute communities could work in South East Queensland

Planners are looking at how Brisbane’s infrastructure will have to change to get more cars off the road. VOTE IN THE POLL

Close knit communities where everything is just a short walk or bike ride away could be the future of urban development, but experts are questioning whether the concept would be feasible in South East Queensland.

Future plans are looking at developing smaller communities with all necessities and amenities in proximity to people’s homes as a way of reducing the number of cars on the road and clearing up major transport routes.

Lecturer in urban and environmental planning at Griffith University, Dr Tony Matthews, said the idea was that everything would be accessible by a 15-minute walk, cycle or bus ride, but not by car.

“By having more of what you need close by, you spend less time in traffic, your quality of life goes up and your connection to your local areas gets stronger,” he said.

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Experts say “15-minute communities” could end gridlock in South East Queensland. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

Dr Matthews said that in a way, the pandemic has helped boost the idea of 15-minute communities with its encouragement of flexible work schedules.

“Historically the biggest problem was employment. It’s easy enough to provide all these other services nearby, but harder to provide employment which is where people are five days a week,” he said.

“Covid has provided this opportunity because it normalised working from home and brought security around the technology that’s needed to do that. It’s delivered something that wasn’t previously there in terms of liveability.”

A number of inner city urban suburbs in Brisbane are already showing aspects of the 15-minute proximity idea including West End, Woolloongabba, South Brisbane, Fortitude Valley and New Farm.

The Brisbane Metro will speed up travel around Brisbane.

But the overall layout of the South East Queensland region could become one of the only things holding the idea back from truly developing, according to Dr Matthews.

“In an ideal world what would happen in these 15-minute cities, is that people would get to the point where they find a car isn’t needed anymore,” he said.

“The way we’ve set up South East Queensland is not easily reversible. You might be able to go six days a week in your neighbourhood, but there’s that one day a week you need to get to the coast or Ikea and you’ll need the car.”

Dr Matthews said letting go of cars is central to solving both congestion and parking issues but there can’t be a “blind reliance” on behavioural shifts.

“The only way to reduce cars on the road is to give people an alternative option that’s efficient,” he said.

“People aren’t in their cars because they want to be, they’re in them because they need to be. Building roads doesn’t reduce the number of cars, you need to give people meaningful ways of public transport or mixed modal transport.”