This marketing video is worth watching because it shows how wonderful life can be if you only just believed. There are many comments but I found this one particularly poignant because it summarizes quite well why people are tired of yet another elitist scheme to saving the planet.
By Colorme D: I've asked a number of people why they were opposed to the 15-minute city concept. I also listened.
Here's what I learned:
1) They are NOT opposed to walkable neighborhoods.
2) They are (mostly) NOT anti-transit.
3) They feel they've been betrayed by politicians regarding these types of grand plans on numerous occasions -- and who in the world hasn't?
4) They ARE opposed to sweeping mandates and financial penalties.
5) They ARE turned completely off by the elitist, condescending, authoritarian attitudes exhibited by MANY of those who promote the concept. You see it on some of the urbanist channels here on YT, but this video certainly does a better job of explaining it in a non-condescending manner than most!
6) They don't necessarily believe that anthropogenic climate change is a hoax, but they cannot help but have noticed that many of the predictions made in the 90s simply did not come to pass, blatant fear-mongering has been leveraged into personal fortunes, world leaders who harp on about rising sea levels keep buying oceanfront mansions and flying around the globe in private jets while urging the middle class to make meaningful sacrifices, and a certain type of political parasite insists that they can "change the weather" if all of you plebs just surrender more of your money to them. It's not helping the urbanist cause that many of these people are the same ones promoting the 15-minute city concept.
7) They're more worried about out-of-control taxation and government spending, skyrocketing crime rates, runaway inflation, and the devaluation of their savings. They're more concerned about being forced to eat pet food in their retirement than if they can walk to the grocery store to buy it.
TLDR: It isn't the concept itself that turns off some people. It's the way it's being presented and those who are presenting it!
And here is another opinion, by Joshua Mc:
As someone who has largely been very supportive of making walkable mixed use neighborhoods but also quite interested in the world of conspiracy I don't think most of the comments here are grasping why so many people have anxiety over the "15 minute city".
I don't think people are particularly upset about the ability to walk to stores or school and most people would love to be able to work close to home as evident by how popular and expensive actual mixed use communities are in most cities.
I think its more about a whole bunch of ideas that are being talked about by those in elite circles that all put together are freaking people out. Digital ID's, Central Bank Digital currencies, climate change policies, a general trend towards authoritarian control as witnessed through the pandemic, laws controlling speech on the internet.
Its not that the idea of 15 minute cities are a bad thing but I think alot of people are looking at all these things together and feel like a net is closing in around them. And since 15 minute cites are being talked about by the same elites that are pushing for all these other control measures many people are lumping these things all together. I think the idea of the 15 minute city is great but I do understand why so many are turning against the idea.
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