During a land-use bylaw conversation in council on Monday, concerns regarding the possibility of becoming a 15-minute city were brought up by numerous councillors.
The topic of 15-minute cities has been a controversial one recently, and Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the topic causes concern across the Western world.
“I think that 15-minute cities continue to be a concern in many communities across North America,” she says. “What people are concerned about is that oversight, people feel that they want to know that municipalities and governments aren’t tracking them, they’re not getting unnecessary information,”
Despite the concerns, Mayor Clayton says the City of Grande Prairie “takes pride” in the fact that most GP residents can get around the city in 15 minutes or less; however, she says council is “not interested” in the traditional idea of becoming an official 15-minute city.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that you can get around pretty easily in our community and you can be anywhere in 15 minutes,” she says. “Does that mean that we’re exploring the future of a 15-minute city? Not at all, that’s not a priority of council.”
Clayton adds that many of the concerns raised stem from the negative connotation that the phrase “15-minute city” carries. Residents bring up concerns like increased government presence in day-to-day life; however, Mayor Clayton says council sees the topic in a different way.
“There’s a little bit of a negative connotation when people do talk about 15-minute cities,” she says. “Our regard of 15-minute cities is about the fact that it’s easy to get around our community, and that we pride ourselves in the fact that you can live in an urban centre, and be 15 minutes to anywhere, but not aligned with the concerns that people have with the land use planning of a 15-minute city.”
Clayton says projects such as public transit and infrastructure remain a priority for council, to ensure the city remains accessible for residents.
