The Rise of 15-Minute Cities in Canada: A Blueprint for Sustainable Living
- Gasilov Group Editorial Team
- May 15
- 5 min read
Updated: May 19
Why the 15-Minute City Model Matters in 2025
Across Canada, municipalities are under pressure to reimagine urban development in response to escalating climate targets, strained infrastructure, and persistent social inequities. The "15-minute city" concept, originally championed by urbanist Carlos Moreno, is rapidly gaining traction as a strategic & sustainable framework for localized urbanism. At its core, the model aims to ensure that all essential services—from grocery stores to schools to parks—are accessible within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home.
For Canadian cities, this is more than urban design. It is a practical response to national net-zero goals, shifting demographic patterns, and the imperative to reduce transportation-related emissions, which account for approximately 22 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. As the federal government tightens policies through frameworks like the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, municipalities are integrating land use, transit, and equity into a cohesive planning approach.
Montreal’s Urban Village Strategy: A Case Study in Alignment
Montreal has been a leading example in North America. Its "urban village" approach reflects the 15-minute city ethos, with policies promoting densification around public transit corridors, investment in cycling infrastructure, and preservation of neighborhood-scale commerce. The Plan d’urbanisme et de mobilité 2050 reinforces a vision for compact, low-carbon communities, reducing reliance on private vehicles and encouraging modal shifts.
Notably, projects in boroughs like Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie and Plateau-Mont-Royal have prioritized multi-use zoning, integrated green space planning, and support for small businesses. These interventions are not isolated. They are guided by real-time data and resident feedback loops, positioning Montreal as a living laboratory for participatory urbanism.
Key levers in the city's strategy include:
Zoning code flexibility, enabling mixed-use development and missing-middle housing
Transit-oriented development, reducing car dependency
Localized amenities, such as libraries, clinics, and food markets integrated into neighborhood hubs
Edmonton’s Zoning Reform: A Structural Shift
Further west, Edmonton is undergoing a profound zoning transformation. In 2023, the city approved a new Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative, one of the most ambitious overhauls of land use regulation in Canada. This reform replaces single-use zoning with performance-based criteria, allowing for greater integration of residential, commercial, and community uses.
Edmonton’s planners explicitly reference the 15-minute city concept as a guiding principle. The city has published open-access walkability data and applied proximity analyses to ensure equitable distribution of essential services across neighborhoods. By aligning land use with climate goals, Edmonton is also leveraging policy to address embedded systemic inequities, including mobility access and housing affordability.
Strategically, the shift also creates opportunities for public-private collaboration. Developers are being encouraged to build within new form-based codes, prioritizing human-scale design and mixed-income housing close to existing transit corridors.
Beyond Urban Design: The Strategic Role of Policy and Metrics
Implementing 15-minute cities is not simply about redesigning streets or rezoning parcels. It requires coordinated governance, credible metrics, and cross-sector engagement. In Canada, this work is being embedded into broader frameworks like:
The Canada Infrastructure Bank’s commitment to active transit projects
Provincial mandates on housing affordability and densification, such as Ontario’s More Homes Built Faster Act
The National Active Transportation Strategy, which provides funding and guidance for municipalities adopting active mobility plans
These initiatives frame the 15-minute city as both a climate resilience strategy and a social equity tool. However, success depends on nuanced implementation. Municipalities must navigate tensions between rapid change and local identity, between private investment and public interest.
To move from concept to execution, cities need robust data governance, adaptive zoning regimes, and resident engagement processes that go beyond consultation to co-creation. The opportunities are substantial, but so are the operational and political risks.
Governance Gaps, Equity Risks, and the Path to Execution
While the momentum behind 15-minute cities in Canada is real, the transition is far from seamless. Municipal governments are navigating fragmented jurisdictional authority, legacy zoning codes, and infrastructure deficits that inhibit rapid adoption. Moreover, without careful planning, well-meaning interventions risk reinforcing patterns of exclusion.
Equity remains a central risk. Without targeted policy design, higher land values in walkable, amenity-rich neighborhoods can accelerate displacement. The “green gentrification” effect—where sustainability upgrades drive up housing costs—is already observable in parts of Vancouver and Toronto. Simply creating a 15-minute city on paper does not ensure universal access to its benefits.
Several cities are starting to confront this. Edmonton’s inclusionary zoning provisions and Montreal’s social housing targets are steps in the right direction, but execution consistency remains uneven. Coordinated data on access disparities—by age, income, or mobility level—is still lacking in many municipalities. This is a critical operational blind spot, particularly when equity is positioned as a pillar of the 15-minute city vision.
The Why Now: Policy Windows and Market Forces
Several converging forces make 2025 a strategic inflection point for 15-minute city planning in Canada:
Federal climate targets mandate deep decarbonization by 2030, pushing municipalities to scale local solutions quickly.
Post-pandemic work trends have reshaped mobility patterns, increasing the feasibility of decentralized service delivery.
Investor and insurer scrutiny of urban resilience and emissions intensity is influencing municipal financing terms.
In this context, the 15-minute city is more than a design preference, it is a hedge against climate risk, infrastructure stress, and economic volatility. Cities that embed this model into their land-use and infrastructure strategies are likely to be more competitive for federal funding, more resilient to shocks, and better aligned with long-term demographic shifts.
Strategic Takeaways for Urban Leaders and Private Sector Partners
For municipal executives, urban developers, and infrastructure investors, several strategic takeaways emerge:
Align capital investment with proximity metrics: Prioritize funding toward public infrastructure that reduces time-distance gaps in essential services.
Embed dynamic zoning frameworks: Move beyond static land use categories toward adaptable codes that can accommodate evolving neighborhood needs.
Institutionalize multi-sector collaboration: Successful 15-minute city models require cross-departmental governance, private sector engagement, and community co-creation mechanisms.
Integrate equity audits into planning cycles: Ensure spatial equity analyses are conducted at each phase of development, with a focus on access, not just density.
At Gasilov Group, we work with cities and organizations navigating this shift—from strategic planning to on-the-ground implementation. Whether it’s designing outcome-based zoning frameworks, building municipal climate investment strategies, or facilitating interagency collaboration, our team provides the expertise needed to translate vision into measurable impact. If your organization is exploring how to operationalize the 15-minute city model, we invite you to connect with our team for tailored strategic support.
Curious about who we are or the impact we’re making? Visit our homepage or learn more about us.
Frequently Asked Questions: 15-Minute Cities in Canada
What is the 15-minute city and how does it apply to Canada?
A 15-minute city is a planning model where residents can access most daily needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home. In Canada, this aligns with climate goals, urban density strategies, and equity-focused development. It is being explored in cities like Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
How are Canadian cities implementing the 15-minute city concept?
Cities are using tools such as mixed-use zoning, transit-oriented development, and active transportation infrastructure. Edmonton’s zoning overhaul and Montreal’s urban village strategy are leading examples of policy-driven implementation.
What are the main challenges of implementing 15-minute cities?
Key challenges include outdated zoning laws, fragmented governance, infrastructure gaps, and risks of gentrification. Addressing these requires integrated planning, cross-sector partnerships, and equity-focused metrics.
Is there evidence that 15-minute cities reduce emissions?
Yes, reducing car dependency significantly lowers transportation-related emissions. A study by the International Transport Forum found that compact, walkable urban design can cut urban transport emissions by up to 25 percent when combined with mode-shift policies.
How can private sector stakeholders engage in 15-minute city development?
Private developers, infrastructure investors, and tech firms can align projects with municipal proximity goals, partner on mobility solutions, and integrate ESG principles into urban design. Strategic alignment with public priorities is key.
