A Critique on the theoretical foundations of the 15-minute city model based on post-structural criticism approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Alireza Ahmadi 1
Mohammad Taghi Heydari 2
1 PhD student, geography and urban planning, university of Zanjan.
2 Associate professor, department of geography and urban planning, university of zanjan, zanjan, iran
10.22034/he.2025.519059.1093
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to present a critique on the 15-minute city model, as one of the contemporary urban planning models. Therefore, it looks at this model from a critical approach. Critics of this article are presented from a post-structuralist approach. After examining the foundations and documentary background of this thematic area, critics have been discussed from three dimensions: ontological, geohistorical criticism and functional criticism. In each of the criticisms, first the theoretical assumptions of this model were presented and then they were criticized with post-structuralist principles. The findings of this article showed that the 15-minute city model presumes the design of an absolute and static space, which does not have the ability to analyze deterritorialization and reterritorialization of urban spaces and is an example of territorial planning. In addition, the results indicate that despite the claim of digitization and transition from Fordism, this model is fundamentally unable to understand the current post-Fordist city spaces from both the perspectives of new work spaces and new consumption spaces. This article concludes that this model is a utopian plan by presenting an teleological and timeless image that cannot say anything about the functions of space and the effects of capital circulation on it.

Keywords

Subjects

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Human Ecology
Volume 4, Issue 12
Autumn 2025
Pages 1386-1398