Can the 15-Minute City Work in Canada? Why Local Living Needs a Made-in-Canada Strategy

As cities across the globe look for sustainable ways to reduce car dependency and promote healthier, more vibrant communities, the concept of the 15-minute city has emerged as a compelling urban ideal. Originally popularized by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo during her 2020 re-election campaign, the idea promotes local living—where work, school, healthcare, groceries, and entertainment are all accessible within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home. While the model has seen adoption in several European cities, applying it in sprawling Canadian metros is far more complex.

In Europe, cities like Paris and Barcelona were built on denser, mixed-use development patterns long before the automobile dominated urban planning. In contrast, Canadian cities such as Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto have been shaped by decades of zoning policies that separated residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. The result is urban sprawl, long commutes, and a deep reliance on cars. Add to that the lack of sidewalks in suburban neighborhoods, limited local healthcare and educational services, and sparse public transit in many areas, and the challenges of achieving a 15-minute lifestyle become clear.

According to research from Transportation Research at McGill (TRAM), just 1.8 percent of households on the island of Montreal were able to complete all their daily activities within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or transit trip. When accounting for car usage and extending the definition to a 30-minute city, that number still only rises to six percent. Clearly, the full vision of the 15-minute city isn’t yet feasible for most Canadians. But rather than abandon the concept, experts suggest reimagining it through a Canadian lens—prioritizing access over rigid time thresholds.

That means making strategic, context-sensitive improvements. At the local level, municipalities should focus on delivering more basic services—such as health clinics, parks, grocery stores, and schools—within residential neighborhoods. At the regional level, planning should concentrate on linking homes to major employment centers, universities, and hospitals via robust, efficient public transit. This two-tiered strategy allows for the realities of sprawl while still moving towards more equitable and sustainable urban living.

Cities like Vancouver and Montreal are already taking these ideas seriously. Vancouver’s 2050 Plan commits to walkable communities with more amenities and childcare, but stops short of promising a rigid 15-minute target. Montreal’s 2050 Land Use and Mobility Plan takes a similar approach by enhancing access to essentials without enforcing arbitrary time limits. Both frameworks emphasize affordability, zoning reform, and community input—key steps toward making local living a reality.

In the end, Canada’s path to a 15- or even 30-minute city won’t be identical to Europe’s. But with coordinated efforts in zoning reform, investment in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and expansion of public transit, Canadian cities can move closer to creating more accessible, connected, and resilient communities. The 15-minute city may be more of a guiding principle than a one-size-fits-all solution—but for Canada, that flexibility might just be its greatest strength.