About This Project

Redesign urban planning codes around two interlocking principles: the 15-Minute City framework and mandatory Heat Equity Standards. (1) 15-Minute City Adoption: Require that all new urban development in cities above 500,000 people meet the 15-Minute City standard — every resident within 15 minutes' walk or cycle of work, education, healthcare, groceries, and green space. This eliminates car dependency at the design stage, reduces urban VMT (vehicle miles traveled) by 30-40%, and creates the mixed-use density that makes transit economically viable. Paris, Barcelona, and Melbourne have adopted versions of this framework — it needs standardization and mandatory adoption. (2) Heat Equity Standards: Mandate minimum tree canopy coverage (30%) and maximum paved surface ratio (40%) in all residential zones — with stronger requirements in historically underserved neighborhoods that currently run hottest. Building codes updated to require cool roofs and permeable paving in all new construction. Funded through a Land Value Capture mechanism — a 1% annual levy on the uplift in land value from public transit investments, hypothecated to green infrastructure in the highest-heat neighborhoods.

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