Hamilton, the ‘20 minute city’?

As part of the economic recovery package, the Government made a high-profile call for ‘shovel ready’ infrastructure projects that could start quickly. Shortly after, it received a huge number from across the country, sparking off a great deal of discussion – from the merits of individual proposals to whether the fund encouraged transformative ideas rather than old thinking.

In all the frenzy of national competition, one idea seemed to create a little more buzz than most others. It is called ‘The 20 Minute City’ and it came from Hamilton. As one of the people who helped develop the idea alongside Hamilton City Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency, I want to tell you more about it. In part, because it is so exciting, but also as the Government will be making their decision on what projects to fund very soon. This is all in the balance right now.

In contrast to some more projectoriented proposals, we started with an idea. One that puts infrastructure in its place, not as an end in itself, but as something that serves us. One that can increase our quality of life. That can create jobs. That shapes where we go, and how. But, if infrastructure serves us, we first need a vision of the kind of lifestyle we want it to deliver.

That is where the idea of the 20-Minute City comes in. The concept emerged from Portland, Oregon, and has recently been creating waves internationally in urban planning circles. Since then a number of cities have adopted the approach, most notably Melbourne, where it is a central principle of their long-term plan to balance growth with an increase in the quality of life for current residents.

It is an idea that is as much about lifestyle as infrastructure. In simple terms, it is about living locally and aiming to give you most of what you need for a good life within a 20-minute walk, cycle, or public transport trip from home. So things such as local employment, shopping, health and community facilities, education, playgrounds or parks should all be easily accessible by everyone.

To achieve this requires the right kinds of infrastructure in the right places. So good pedestrian access and high connectivity, safe cycle lanes, and joined up planning that aims to better link people with the facilities they use. It is foundational infrastructure. One that focuses on enabling shorter journeys that, once established, should also help strengthen the case for future investment in the more eye-catching rapid transit and rail.

It is also a good way to create the rapid jobs that the shovel ready stimulus requires. Proposals like these tend to support local employment and proceed much faster than road projects, reservoirs, or conference centres.

However, the benefits go way beyond direct job creation. We should see a decrease in time spent in congestion, fewer accidents, lower greenhouse gas emissions, even a reduction in stormwater pollution. At the same time we should see an increase in our health from a more active lifestyle, enjoy more choices on how to travel, and more accessibility and connectivity should mean we spend more money in local businesses.

You may now be wondering why, if this idea is so good, has no city done it yet? A key reason is a lack of New Zealand specific data on how to make it work and not enough hard evidence on the benefits it brings.

Therefore, an added innovation of the proposal has been to partner with the University of Waikato in order to turn the city into a ‘living laboratory’ where we can test, analyse, and monitor this investment as we build it. To provide the evidence of jobs created or different local spending patterns, to understand behavioural changes associated with walking and cycling and the consequent health effects, and to gather environmental information on air quality improvements or noise reductions.

For the first time we aim to systematically evaluate the economic, social, and health effects of this investment on a city-scale, and provide the missing evidence that can help other cities in New Zealand to do the same.

We want to involve citizens, groups, schools, and businesses too. Not just to communicate changes, but to involve you every step of the way, even down to contributing to our science collection and playing a more direct part in transforming the city.

To develop a proposal of this nature we also had to change how we normally work. The project was designed in close partnership between Hamilton City Council, New Zealand Transport Agency, and the University of Waikato. Lots of credit should go to Hamilton City Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency for being so open to new ideas and ways of working. There is a real energy in the region right now; its size has become a strength, we can quickly form new working relationships and get things done without many of the issues bigger cities have.

Beyond job creation, the intention is to use this opportunity to transform the city, not just physically, but in how it is perceived, and the quality of life it helps provide. We also want to use this opportunity to lever in more investment for Hamilton and create the body of evidence that helps change occur elsewhere.

We do not yet know if the idea will be funded, but if it is, perhaps those claims of the city of future will not be so far-fetched after all.