Youth and Logistics Integration in the 15-Minute City – INCLUCity+

The 15-minute city (15mC) promotes walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods that prioritize accessibility, local services, and human-centric urban design to reduce car-dependency and foster more sustainable, inclusive, active and liveable cities. However, much of the research on 15mC overlooks the unique mobility needs of specific user groups, such as children and teenagers, or the vital role that logistics play in maintaining the functionality of these compact, decentralized urban environments. Moreover, to reach its full potential, the 15mC concept needs to integrate social interactions beyond services and focus on peri-urban areas with poorer transport connectivity. Therefore, INCLUCity+ addresses these gaps by exploring in urban and urban peripheric areas the intersection of user needs—particularly focusing on children and teens—and logistics in the planning, design and development of 15mC. Existing projects often treat the mobility needs of vulnerable groups and the role of logistics in urban planning in isolation, risking unintentionally trade-offs, such as improving walkability while neglecting delivery access, or supporting child mobility without integrating logistics requirements. INCLUCity+ adopts a integrative approach to address these intersecting dimensions and support truly inclusive and functional 15-minute cities. To do so, the project focuses on five core objectives: (1) identifying and mapping stakeholders’ needs, (2) adapting 15mC mobility planning to better support children, teens and vulnerable groups, (3) incorporating logistics into urban planning processes, (4) integrating mobility and logistics within multifunctional spaces in the 15mC, and (5) developing adaptable policies for 15mCs across different European cities.

The project builds on four case studies in Norway, the Netherlands, the UK and France, selected to highlight specific blind spots in the 15mC concept. Covering urban and suburban contexts, with various governmental systems and local environments, these cases provide different but complementary perspectives on the 15mC framework. and present unique challenges and innovations. Bringing together a unique consortium of researchers across political science, urban planning, logistics, science and technology studies, human geography, anthropology, and environmental psychology, and experts from the practice field, INCLUCity+ applies mixed methods—quantitative analyses, qualitative assessments, and participatory design. Co-creation workshops and active stakeholder engagement will integrate community insights, particularly from children and teens, into the planning process to ensure solutions are tailored to diverse local mobility and transport needs and contexts.

The anticipated outcomes of INCLUCity+ go beyond academic contributions to planning research by highlighting underexplored dimensions of the 15mC, including the needs of vulnerable groups and integrated logistics. Civil society organizations will gain practical tools for advocacy on equitable urban planning, while citizens benefit from safer, accessible spaces and a healthier urban environment. The private sector, including logistics providers, will be aided by the project in how to optimize sustainable delivery solutions for walkable neighbourhoods. By focusing on both social and scientific impact, INCLUCity+ aims to inform sustainable policymaking in developing inclusive urban environments that prevent socio-spatial inequalities, support child mobility, and incorporate efficient logistics.