The 30-Minute City
An E-Transport Evolution
For years urban planners talked about a “15-minute city.”
The idea was all the products and services you needed for life were a 15-minute walk away.
The key word is “walk.”
Walking is slow. At my age it’s hard. A 15-minute city requires that my doctor, my food, my workplace, and my entertainment are all less than a mile from my house.
That’s not practical, even in a European city. Chain stores have replaced bodegas. They offer lower prices and a wider selection.
Wheels aren’t feet, but wheels require a machine. A bicycle can get you 5 miles in 30 minutes, but you need to wear special clothes, special shoes, and be prepared to change when you get there, maybe even shower.
I did this for 40 years. I gave up in 2022 because of spinal stenosis. The handlebars on my road bike were lower than the seat. I was leaning over, in terrible pain. Then the thin wheels of my road bike kept popping. The normal hazards of potholes and uneven pavement grew worse. Large pick-ups now mow the lawns and trucks deliver packages, degrading the roads further.
An e-bike changed my life. Wider tires, a comfortable ride, and the Atlanta hills went flat, thanks to a 500-watt motor. Cargo bikes are a bigger game changer, making shopping possible, bringing infants out of cars. Then e-trikes appeared, meaning those with balance issues can also go 5 miles in 30 minutes, arriving refreshed.
Every morning now, a commuter rolls by my house on an electric scooter that’s faster than my e-bike. He’s standing, his wheels are on the road, and when he gets to work, he can carry his ride under his arm.
Rapid Evolution
But more powerful motors are here.
We’re all upset over kids on “e-motos,” electric motorcycles capable of freeway speeds. But when gas gets over $5/gallon, a $1,000 electric motorbike that can get you to work as fast as your car looks good. Get a helmet, we’ll deal with the licensing, and suburbs start to look a lot more like Taiwan than they used to.
For all the horrors of e-motos, they’re lighter than cars, and take up less room in a parking lot. If you’re 15 miles from work, that’s a 30-minute commute, and there’s room on the back for groceries. Look for family-style e-motos soon, and e-cargo e-motos. You can easily charge them overnight from a standard outlet.
Then let’s look at robotics. I was dreaming last night of tractor treads, that can go up-and-down steps, then roll into wheels that take foot traffic up to e-bike speeds. They’re coming. Maybe their mass market isn’t replacing factory workers. Maybe it’s getting grandma to bingo.
My point is that E-Transport is evolving faster than cities can plan for it. My Edison is like a car from 1906. It is a curiosity becoming a commonplace. But the final form of the revolution isn’t even in sight yet.