Density Matters, So Let's Make Every City a 5-Minute City (Not 15)

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I have a confession to make. When I first got into urbanism, I subbed to a whole bunch of channels, and didn't realise that CityNerd and CityBeautiful were different channels. I just thought sometimes you were happier than others :(

As a housing planner, I've actually pivoted from talking about 'density' in favor of 'choice' and 'diversity'. I've noticed the former REALLY freaks people out, and often elicits some pretty problematic stereotyping about what that means. But when you show folks pictures, that doesn't happen (because obviously, density is not the literal end of society). Like people panic at the idea of changing a zone from allowing 8 du/ac to 32 du/ac, but when you show them a picture of a quadplex, most folks don't think twice (they might not even notice it's a quadplex). I've also found it to be helpful (especially in more conservative areas) when I frame this as choice for the property owner - to either open a business or build much needed housing on the land they own. As capitalistic as it sounds, it's pretty important for rhetorically making the case for actually changing policy in US cities. I also have some major issues with the idea of 'maximum density' as a regulatory tool, but I recognize that's not the topic of today's video.

I'm an American, living in France (with a Masters Degree in architecture and some urban and regional planning coursework in my experience). I live in a village of mostly detached houses with gardens around them. Despite a description that probably sounds "suburban" to many Americans, and unpleasant to those who view the American suburb as an urban planning disaster, I can walk to several markets, parks, the beach, cafes, etc. I don't even own a car. I don't need one to satisfy the functions of daily life. There is a bus I can take into the nearest "big city" (pop. 80,000). But I just go there for fun every few weeks. My point? We don't have to live in highrise apartment blocks, with no access to private outdoor space; we don't need to sacrifice having gardens; we don't have to sacrifice wildlife habitat; in order to create a local environment that does not rely cars on a daily basis.

The sarcasm meter is at its raging apex in this video. #loveit

There's an unforgivable oversight regarding Spanish urban dogs: The differences in socialization between one of those urban dogs and what we find in midwestern suburbs almost make them seem like a different species. Your typical suburban midwestern dog tends to have minimal interactions with other dogs, or people outside of the family unit. Some might consider a walking passerby to be a threat, others might bark just out of loneliness, as they are stuck in their backyard, with minimal socialization. Even when they are walked, they tend to meet absolutely nobody, and just get to bark at other dogs behind fences. Compare this to the Spanish urban dog: They cross paths with other urban dogs every time they go for a walk. Humans? they see hundreds, if not thousands, on every walk. Barking at any child that comes nearby? At every dog? No, there's too much of that. They'll approach you to play if you show them any attention, possibly while their friendly human is sitting down at the park, but they are just so much more flexible. So yes, we need more density, just to help the dogs.

One of the best things about when we lived in Munich was the first floor of our apartment building had a drugstore, my bank, nice restaurant, book store, cafe, chocolate shop. Across the street was a bakery, another cafe, green grocers, pub, other shops. Oh, and the closest tram was across the street and the UBahn was 50m around the corner. Now, I feel fortunate to have place to go within 2 miles of my house in TX.

This is such a dramatic and welcome twist in this channel. So happy that you're enjoying Valencia. Hope you get to check other parts of Spain with wonderful cities. I miss so much my hometown Santiago de Compostela from Austin TX 😭

How can we make proper city design marketable? Money is the only motivating factor in america as far as actually getting stuff done, so how can we trick the people (with money) into a proper city design the same way we were tricked into the terrible city designs we have now? fire with fire

By American standards, I'm in a crazy dense neighborhood. My block has a mix of single family homes on small lots, duplexes, triplexes, and 3 story apartment buildings. The nearest supermarket is 2 short blocks away, there are 5 more within a mile, not to mention all the other businesses nearby. Compared to Valencia, my neighborhood is in the boondocks!

I first got into urbanism while studying/living in Valencia. One of the craziest things I found about the city was how it just ended on the north side, going from dense neighborhoods with metro service straight to farmland. I have no idea how that kind of land use happens and can't imagine seeing it here in the US.

As a Spaniard, it's so strange that Americans are surprised by the shops on the ground floor of apartment buildings xD. In the mornings the habit of going to buy fresh bread at the supermarket (fresh bread is sacred), to take the children to school, the older people taking a walk for a while having a coffee, gives the city a rhythm. Mornings, happy hour, afternoons, nights, the city changes its routines, and gives it life. It is not a chaotic life. Quite the opposite. Whoever says that cities with densities like Valencia are chaotic and crowded places like in the Solient Green movie, doesn't know what they're talking about. Spanish cities are very calm, predictable, and safe places. The rhythm of Valencia makes it a tremendous place to live a very good life. It also has a good connection by HSR so in a few hours you can be in the center of other cities. You can go shopping or take a walk in Barcelona (for pure pleasure), and come back and you'll have a day left over for other things. On the other hand, it is also so rare to see with the eyes of a foreigner how beautiful our cities are. I walk through one every day, and I'm so bad used to its architecture that sometimes you forget how beautiful it is and how careful everything is in general. Of course, everything can be improved and we Spaniards love to criticize and make drama out of almost everything, including drama itself (how am i doing now lol). Valencia is a beautiful city but in Spain there are so many beautiful cities and towns, they are unique pearls (all European cities are). Also, good video, I hope you are having a good time, relaxing and taking good naps with that Mediterranean air.

I've lived in a place with 5 minute access to every basic need, 15 minute access, and 30 minute access. The difference between 30 and 15 (or even 20 and 15) is way bigger, but especially on a bad day I really wish the grocery store was a bit closer. Living in a '5 minute city' is the kind of crazy luxury that I just can't describe to anyone who hasn't lived it, and something I'd choose over almost anything else I could get in my life. The level of freedom is the best part.

That bike network looks absolutely GLORIOUS. Like bikes are actually considered an equal mode of transportation and not just an afterthought.

I lived in the Upper East Side of Manhattan for a bit. 100,000 population per square mile. It actually didn’t feel crazy at all. Very lively of course. Being next to Central Park helped a lot.

I love Valencia! An amazing medival Spanish city. I also love their greenbelt. It's such a walkable place. I spent a week in Spain with my mother. Landed in Madrid, took the high speed train to Valencia for a couple days. Then the rest of our time exploring Barcelona. I'd totally retire to Spain.

In Spain, living in an apartment is synonymous with: Live close to everything. Not needing any kind of transportation to go to work or to buy food, clothes, etc. You can go walking. Go outside and enjoy a positive environment. Have nice parks nearby. Having hundreds of shops, bars and restaurants full of people with a good vibe. Living in the center means: Having quality of life. In the USA, living in the center has other, very different connotations.

City Nerd is the bomb. Americans are programmed to be terrified of cities. We are not taught to read transit maps. We don’t learn how to ride public transit, use transit passes, and drive safely on narrow, congested streets. We hate public bathrooms, litter,and people around us speaking foreign languages. I’m a retired City and Regional Planner.

That ultra-dry delivery of "I'm a goofball" :D As a European, since I started watching all these urbanist channels I've increasingly come to appreciate the density and mixed-use zoning of the cities I've been living in. It's not just supermarkets five of which are within a five minute walking distance from my apartment, the same goes with my doctor's office, my hair salon, several bus stops and cafés. And my neighborhood is still considered mostly residential. But I'm not ignoring the downsides, and channels like this have helped me realize where there's still room for improvement.

even less dense cities can have a real nice setup. I studies abroad in Matsuyama Japan and their density is ~3100/sqmi. they had trains going to it, streetcars, a lively downtown where they even have a ferris wheel. restaurants everywhere. and biking anywhere is really easy. I would say for the little time I did spend there, it was one of the most perfect cities I could imagine for its size. all the amenities of a big city but was really slow and relaxed.