Analysis of the Thematic Evolution of Health in Cities with a Focus on the 15-Minute City

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 PhD Student in Social Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Social Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Car-dependent urban structures have led to negative outcomes such as sprawl, biodiversity loss, and diminished quality of life. The 15-minute city model emerges as an innovative strategy to enhance the built environment and spatial equity by minimizing car dependency and promoting walking and cycling. This abridged paper examines the conceptual evolution of public health in urban contexts, emphasizing the 15-minute city's role in fostering urban sustainability post-COVID-19. Employing a systematic bibliometric review, the study analyzes 156 articles from 2000 to 2025 using VOSviewer and SciMAT for trend mapping and thematic analysis. The research divides into three periods: 2000–2010, focusing on physical activity for elderly quality of life; 2010–2018, emphasizing social equity and neighborhood planning; and 2018–2025, highlighting social participation and cultural factors in sustainable development. Key thematic clusters identified include: 15-minute city and urban accessibility, built environment and environmental psychology, public health and risks, physical activity and health, and transportation and policy. Findings indicate that the 15-minute city integrates public health and urban planning to reduce inequalities and boost sustainability across dimensions. The model encourages active transport, lowers environmental impacts, and improves mental and physical health by ensuring essential services are within a 15-minute walk or cycle. However, challenges like implementation barriers in diverse geographies persist. Recommendations include longitudinal studies on long-term effects and obstacle analyses in various regions. This review provides a comprehensive overview for researchers, aiding in identifying emerging trends and fostering healthier, equitable urban futures.

Highlights

  • Bibliometric review of 156 articles on urban health and 15-minute city (2000-2025).
  • Divided into three periods with shifts in focus on physical activity, equity, and participation.
  • Identified five key thematic clusters like urban accessibility and public health.
  • 15-minute city model reduces inequalities and enhances urban sustainability.
  • Recommends long-term studies on model's impacts in diverse geographical regions.

Keywords

References

  • Allam, Z., Bibri, S. E., Chabaud, D., & Moreno, C. (2022). The 15-minute city concept can shape a net-zero urban future. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01145-0
  • Allam, Z., Khavarian-Garmsir, A. R., Lassaube, U., Chabaud, D., & Moreno, C. (2024). Mapping the implementation practices of the 15-minute city. Smart Cities, 7(4), 2094–2109. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7040096
  • Allam, Z., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., Chabaud, D., & Moreno, C. (2022). The 15-minute city offers a new framework for sustainability, liveability, and health. The Lancet Planetary Health, 6(3), e181–e183. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00014-6
  • Azeez, S. A., Mustafa, F. A., & Ahmed, R. M. (2023). The role of the active design approach in improving the environmental psychology of a healthy built environment: The case of a university campus. Buildings, 13(3), 650. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030650
  • Badawi, Y., Maclean, F., & Mason, B. (2018). The economic case for investment in walking. Victoria Walks. https://www.victoriawalks.org.au/Assets/Files/The-Economic-Case-for-Investment-in-Walking-FINAL.pdf
  • Balcetis, E., Cole, S., & Duncan, D. T. (2020). How walkable neighborhoods promote physical activity: Policy implications for development and renewal. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 7(2), 173–180. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732220939135
  • Balletto, G., Ladu, M., Milesi, A., & Borruso, G. (2021). A methodological approach on disused public properties in the 15-minute city perspective. Sustainability, 13(2), 593. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020593
  • Barratt, P., & Swetnam, R. D. (2022). A civic and sustainable 15-minute campus? Universities should embrace the 15-minute city concept to help create vibrant sustainable communities. Local Economy, 37(8), 734–744. https://doi.org/10.1177/02690942221124528
  • Bocca, A. (2021). Public space and 15-minute city. TeMA – Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, 14(3), 395–410. https://doi.org/10.6092/1970-9870/7655
  • Bright, D. (2021). Whose 15-minute windy city? Evaluating access to walkable places in Chicago (Master’s thesis, University of North Carolina). University of North Carolina.
  • Capolongo, S., & Rebecchi, A. (2021). The city of proximity as an urban health strategy for the post-pandemic neighborhood’s needs. European Journal of Public Health, 31(Supplement 3), ckab164.187. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.187
  • Caselli, B., Carra, M., Rossetti, S., & Zazzi, M. (2022). Exploring the 15-minute neighbourhoods: An evaluation based on the walkability performance to public facilities. Transportation Research Procedia, 60, 346–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2021.12.046
  • Chen, W., Zaid, S. M., & Nazarali, N. (2016). Environmental psychology: The urban built environment impact on human mental health. Planning Malaysia, 14(5), 159–172.
  • Choudhary, A. (2024). Public health: Policy, law and right. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i03.20525
  • Cobo, M. J., López-Herrera, A. G., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2011a). An approach for detecting, quantifying, and visualizing the evolution of a research field: A practical application to the fuzzy sets theory field. Journal of Informetrics, 5(1), 146–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2010.10.002
  • Cobo, M. J., López-Herrera, A. G., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2011b). Science mapping software tools: Review, analysis, and cooperative study among tools. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(7), 1382–1402. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.21525
  • Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
  • Fancourt, D. (2017). Fact file 10: Public health. In D. Fancourt, Arts in health: Designing and researching interventions (pp. 241–246). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198792079.003.0023
  • Ferrer-Ortiz, C., Marquet, O., Mojica, L., & Vich, G. (2022). Barcelona under the 15-minute city lens: Mapping the accessibility and proximity potential based on pedestrian travel times. Smart Cities, 5(1), 146–161. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5010010
  • Franzini, L., Elliott, M. N., Cuccaro, P., Schuster, M., Gilliland, M. J., Grunbaum, J. A., & Tortolero, S. R. (2009). Influences of physical and social neighborhood environments on children's physical activity and obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 99(2), 271–278. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.128702
  • Gaglione, F., Gargiulo, C., Zucaro, F., & Cottrill, C. (2022). Urban accessibility in a 15-minute city: A measure in the city of Naples, Italy. Transportation Research Procedia, 60, 378–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2021.12.049
  • Gauthier, A., & Blomstrom, E. (2019). Access for all: Gender and inclusive TOD. Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. https://itdp.org/publication/access-for-all-gender/
  • Giles-Corti, B., Foster, S., Lynch, B., & Lowe, M. (2023). What are the lessons from COVID-19 for creating healthy, sustainable, resilient future cities? npj Urban Sustainability, 3(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-023-00108-x
  • Gössling, S. (2020). Why cities need to take road space from cars—and how this could be done. Journal of Urban Design, 25(4), 443–448. https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2020.1727318
  • Hamilton, J. J., Turner, K., & Cone, M. L. (2021). Responding to the pandemic: Challenges with public health surveillance systems and development of a COVID-19 national surveillance case definition to support case-based morbidity surveillance during the early response. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 27(Suppl. 1), S80–S86. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000001300
  • Hayes, D. J., & Berman, M. G. (2015). Nature and the environment: The psychology of its benefits and its protection. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1804. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01804
  • Jacob, L., Tully, M. A., Barnett, Y., Lopez-Sanchez, G. F., Butler, L., Schuch, F., & Smith, L. (2020). The relationship between physical activity and mental health in a sample of the UK public: A cross-sectional study during the implementation of COVID-19 social distancing measures. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 19, 100345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2020.100345
  • Jeon, J., Kim, S., & Kwon, S. M. (2020). The effects of urban containment policies on public health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9), 3275. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093275
  • Jin, J., & Paulsen, K. (2017). Does accessibility matter? Understanding the effect of job accessibility on labour market outcomes. Urban Studies, 55(1), 91–115. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098016684099
  • Khavarian-Garmsir, A. R., Sharifi, A., & Moradpour, N. (2021). Are high-density districts more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic? Sustainable Cities and Society, 70, 102911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.102911
  • Kowaleski-Jones, L., Zick, C., Smith, K. R., Brown, B., Hanson, H., & Fan, J. (2018). Walkable neighborhoods and obesity: Evaluating effects with a propensity score approach. SSM – Population Health, 6, 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2017.11.005
  • Li, X., Wang, P., Jiang, Y., Yang, Y., Wang, F., Yan, F., Li, M., Peng, W., & Wang, Y. (2024). Physical activity and health-related quality of life in older adults: Depression as a mediator. BMC Geriatrics, 24(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04596-5
  • Liu, D., Kwan, M. P., Kan, Z., & Wang, J. (2022). Toward a healthy urban living environment: Assessing 15-minute green-blue space accessibility. Sustainability, 14(24), 16914. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416914
  • Liu, X., Wang, M., Qiang, W., Wu, K., & Wang, X. (2020). Urban form, shrinking cities, and residential carbon emissions: Evidence from Chinese city-regions. Applied Energy, 261, 114409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.114409
  • Malm, C., Jakobsson, J., & Isaksson, A. (2019). Physical activity and sports—Real health benefits: A review with insight into the public health of Sweden. Sports, 7(5), 127. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7050127
  • Marzolla, F., Bruno, M., Melo, H. P. M., & Loreto, V. (2024). Compact 15-minute cities are greener. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2409.01817
  • McCunn, L. J., & Arnett, H. (2022). Let’s not forget the role of environmental psychology in our quest for healthier cities. Cities & Health, 6(6), 1021–1023. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2022.2067005
  • Mehdinejad, H. (2023). A theoretical model for the feasibility of the 15-minute city in urban planning using the meta-synthesis method. Journal of Sustainable Urban Development, 411, 89–111. [in persian]
  • Moreno, C. (2019). The 15-minute city: For a new chrono-urbanism. http://www.moreno-web.net/the-15-minutes-city-for-a-new-chrono-urbanism-pr-carlos-moreno/
  • Moreno, C., Allam, Z., Chabaud, D., Gall, C., & Pratlong, F. (2021). Introducing the 15-minute city: Sustainability, resilience and place identity in future post-pandemic cities. Smart Cities, 4(1), 93–111. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010006
  • Morris, S., & Van der Veer Martens, B. (2008). Mapping research specialties. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 42(1), 213–295. https://doi.org/10.1002/aris.2008.1440420113
  • Mouratidis, K. (2017). Is compact city livable? The impact of compact versus sprawled neighbourhoods on neighbourhood satisfaction. Urban Studies, 55(11), 2408–2430. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098017729109
  • Nawaz, M. O., Henze, D. K., Anenberg, S. C., Ahn, D., Goldberg, D. L., Tessum, C. W., & Chafe, Z. A. (2023). Sources of air pollution-related health impacts and benefits of radially applied transportation policies in 14 US cities. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5, 1116215. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2023.1116215
  • Ong, A. D., & Peterson, C. (2011). The health benefits of nature: Introduction to the special section. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 3(3), 229. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-0854.2011.01056.x
  • Parvazi, M., Engali-Nejad, F., & Sharifpour, P. (2023). Elaboration of walkability to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with an emphasis on 15-minute cities. In Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference and Sixth National Conference on Civil Engineering, Architecture, Art, and Urban Design. [in persian]
  • Plastara, D., & Pozoukidou, G. (2023). 15-minute cities: A literature overview exploring international planning strategies. Global Nest Journal, 25(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.30955/gnc2023.00391
  • Pozoukidou, G., & Chatziyiannaki, Z. (2021). 15-minute city: Decomposing the new urban planning eutopia. Sustainability, 13(2), 928. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020928
  • Rajavel, S. E., & Kathirvel, S. (2024). Principles and approaches in public health practice. In Public health principles and practice (pp. 3–21). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95356-6.00005-7
  • Salehi, P., Khalaj, M., & Jafari, D. (2024). Examining successful urban management experiences in applying the 15-minute city model: A case study of Singapore’s governance system. Journal of Built Environment Studies, 2(1), 42–64. [in persian]
  • Seong, E. Y., Lee, N. H., & Choi, C. G. (2021). Relationship between land use mix and walking choice in high-density cities: A review of walking in Seoul, South Korea. Sustainability, 13(2), 813. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020813
  • Shannon, R., Mant, J., Dessewffy, M., & Harrison, L. (2019). 20-minute neighbourhoods: Creating a more liveable Melbourne. Paper presented at the 5th International Conference on Transportation and Health, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Sharifi, A., & Khavarian-Garmsir, A. R. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts on cities and major lessons for urban planning, design, and management. Science of the Total Environment, 749, 142391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142391
  • Stevens, G., Mascarenhas, M., & Mathers, C. (2009). Global health risks: Progress and challenges. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 87(9), 646. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.09.070565
  • Su, S., Zhou, H., Xu, M., Ru, H., Wang, W., & Weng, M. (2019). Auditing street walkability and associated social inequalities for planning implications. Journal of Transport Geography, 74, 62–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2018.11.003
  • Tellnes, G. (2004). Public health and the way forward. In G. Tellnes (Ed.), Health promotion and health politics in Europe (pp. 41–45). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18826-8_5
  • Van der Stuyft, P., & Unger, J. P. (2000). Improving the performance of health systems: The World Health Report as go-between for scientific evidence and ideological discourse. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 5(10), 675–677. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3156.2000.00637.x
  • Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
  • Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2013). VOSviewer manual (Version 1.6.0). Universiteit Leiden.
  • Vargas, C., Whelan, J., Brimblecombe, J., & Allender, S. (2022). Co-creation, co-design, co-production for public health: A perspective on definitions and distinctions. Public Health Research and Practice, 32(2), e3222211. https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp3222211
  • Viale Pereira, G., Cunha, M. A., Lampoltshammer, T. J., Parycek, P., & Testa, M. G. (2017). Increasing collaboration and participation in smart city governance: A cross-case analysis of smart city initiatives. Information Technology for Development, 23(3), 526–553. https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2017.1353946
  • Vukmirović, M. (2024). The academic rise of the 15-minute city concept as a response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Arhitektura i Urbanizam, 59, 30–45. https://doi.org/10.5937/a-u0-52408
  • Weng, M., Ding, N., Li, J., Jin, X., Xiao, H., He, Z., & Su, S. (2019). The 15-minute walkable neighborhoods: Measurement, social inequalities and implications for building healthy communities in urban China. Journal of Transport & Health, 13, 259–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2019.05.003
  • Westenhöfer, J., Nouri, E., Reschke, M. L., Seebach, F., & Buchcik, J. (2023). Walkability and urban built environments: A systematic review of health impact assessments (HIA). BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15047-2
  • World Health Organization. (1999). The world health report 1999: Making a difference. World Health Organization.
  • World Health Organization. (2000). Obesity: Preventing and managing the global epidemic (WHO Technical Report Series No. 894). World Health Organization.
  • Yadav, S., Xu, Y., & Hergeth, H. H. (2024). Walking the talk: Unraveling the influence of the sustainability features of leather alternatives on consumer behavior toward running shoes. Sustainability, 16(6), 2545. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062545
  • Yang, Y., Cho, A., Nguyen, Q., & Nsoesie, E. O. (2023). Association of neighborhood racial and ethnic composition and historical redlining with built environment indicators derived from street view images in the US. JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2251201. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.51201
Iranian Urban Design Studies
Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 4
January 2026
Pages 309-334

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 26 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 12 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 28 October 2025
  • First Publish Date: 08 January 2026
  • Publish Date: 20 January 2026

Share

How to cite

Statistics