The 20-minute neighbourhood shows up in planning policy everywhere. Our masterplanning team argues the real question isn’t the label, it’s what actually makes one work.
No single blueprint
Walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods have shaped successful towns and villages for generations, long before the 20-minute label existed. Used well, the framework supports healthier lifestyles and stronger local businesses, but it has to respond to context. A rural settlement, a suburban extension and an urban regeneration site all call for different approaches.
Proximity isn’t enough
Homes near amenities isn’t the same as a neighbourhood that works. It needs quality public space, safe walking and cycling routes, reliable transport, connected green infrastructure and facilities delivered on time, not years after residents move in. Policy also has to accept that not every destination belongs in every neighbourhood.
A lens, not a target
The real value of the concept is in how it’s applied. Used as a lens rather than a target, it becomes a way to test whether a masterplan works beyond housing numbers, whether places will function day to day, and whether active travel is actually the easier choice for short journeys.
Judging the place, not the radius
Few neighbourhoods will hit a perfect 20-minute radius, and that’s fine. The real measure of success is whether planning decisions create places that are accessible, sustainable, healthy and enjoyable to live in, while responding to their own local context.
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