Loading ...15 minute City vs Congestion Zone
A spoke with an urban planner from Toronto.
Congestion Zones (Clean Air Zones) are vastly different than a 15 minute city. We have been equating the two as the same.
The 15 minute City is a planning tool to drive future development so that your area is walkable. There are no restrictions. The Congestion Zones have major restrictions and fees. He even admitted that over time the demographics would change to suit those who can walk to work. You would move away from there if you need to use a car. These are usually dense Central Business Districts (CBD). The city monitors who goes in. A fee is charged. I never drive in the CBD of Vancouver. A nightmare to park, etc. I would take transit or ride my bike. Faster and less hassle.
He explained that there are no sensors etc involved in a 15 minute City. No restrictions on movement but zoning for retail/food stores would be favoured. It will not happen overnight.
He is not a WEFer and believes we are confusing the two. It’s just a zoning planning tool.
The logistics would be impossible for sensors for 15 minute Cities. I understand now but we will likely see restrictions in the future on ICE driven in urban areas regardless of the designation. We can count on that.
Also the CBDC will restrict you as well. They can always think up ways in the future.
Personally I would not live in a Congestion Zone. Expensive and restrictive.
Good Information Thanks Columbia
There are always “technicians” hired to provide digestible explanations for policy moves that have altogether different intentions (or motivations), that are themselves carefully concealed from the general public of course.
If you work high enough near those decision making teams (SES in DC), you get the picture. I certainly saw it, and heard about them in hushed tones of voice (and back before cameras and sensors were everywhere).
I drive into the downtown core in Toronto in rush hour twice a week, morning and evening and sometimes take the expressway back to the suburbs and sometimes takes city streets when there’s big problem on the expressway. Can you believe that there is problem with congestion in downtown Toronto? Sure it’s busy but it’s always faster than public transit. The only problems with congestion that I have ever seen have been caused by construction projects and special events. I don’t know why traffic downtown works so well and I wouldn’t expect anyone who doesn’t drive there to expect it to but it does. Maybe things work so well because we don’t have a lot of planners, yet. Planners have destroyed Eglinton Ave from the west all the way over to the east where I live by building an electric train down the middle of the street. Any idiot can see it can’t speed up travel times. In Toronto, the plan is to frustrate drivers and create traffic problems so the planners can implement the WEF’s evil agenda. But first they have to break the city so they can “fix it”.
“…so that your area is walkable.” What a moron! Oh! I saw a car! I’m afraid to walk to work or even cross the street to get a small late! I studied Geography in university. Urban planning is a big academic fantasyland. Just like Public Health.