The concept of a 15-minute city sounds simple and appealing: everything you need for daily life (schools, healthcare, green spaces, shops, work) should be a short walk away. This kind of layout promotes healthier lifestyles and stronger communities while encouraging more sustainable means of commute (walking and cycling). If more sustainable and liveable cities are the goal, how can a solution like this be wrong?

Looking beyond the main advantages, Oana Luca, a researcher from Technical University of Civil Engineering in Bucharest, Romania, and Emanuel Răuță, a researcher at The National School of Political Science and Public Administration (SNSPA), asked themselves: what if proximity alone is not enough?

In a recent research project, they analysed a living example of a 15-minute city: the Mimiu neighbourhood in the city of Ploiești. This was an important case, because in Romania, cities famously carry deep historical and social inequalities. With this in mind, they asked: who really benefits from urban proximity – and who is left out?

A history of imbalance

Before 1989, socialist planning promised equal access to housing and public services in Romania. Large residential neighbourhoods were designed to include schools, clinics, shops, and public transport, but in reality, many of these areas suffered from poor maintenance, rigid design, and declining quality of life. The priority fell on central neighbourhoods, while suburbs were increasingly neglected.

After the fall of communism, the situation was supposed to improve, but the new order drove an even deeper wedge between different social groups: blue-collar workers who lost industrial jobs were pushed to the margins. Roma communities, already marginalised, experienced even stronger segregation: people settled near landfills, polluted industrial zones, or on flood-prone land.


When distance is short but access is not

On paper, Mimiu is not far from the city centre, but with the deeper context in mind, it is far from the initial vision of a 15-minute city. Poor transport connections, deteriorating infrastructure, insecure housing conditions, and social stigma prevent residents from accessing quality schools, healthcare, and jobs. Mimiu shows that physical closeness does not automatically translate into real accessibility. Without supportive policies and inclusive planning, proximity becomes an empty promise – and sometimes it promotes exclusion instead of ending it.

To the researchers at UTCB, these findings are a call for change. According to them, the 15-minute city must be redefined to focus not only on distance and infrastructure, but on equal accessibility.

That means:

  • Affordable and secure housing
  • Investments in long-neglected neighbourhoods
  • Reliable public transport and public services
  • Active involvement of residents in decision-making.

Accessibility is not just about streets and buildings. It is also about dignity, recognition, and the right to belong. There is no universal model for the 15-minute city, but if vulnerable neighbourhoods are placed at the centre of urban strategies, cities can begin to heal long-standing divides.

Reference

Oana Luca & Emanuel Răuță (16 Oct 2025): Urban proximity and social justice. Insights from Romania for the 15-minute city debate, Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, DOI: 10.1080/17549175.2025.2574069

Article link: https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2025.2574069