Moreno presents an essential and timely manifesto for the 15-minute city, an urban planning concept based on the simple but transformative idea that everyday destinations and amenities – including schools, retail stores, health centres, and offices – should be no more than a short walk or bike ride from home.

Titled The 15-Minute City: A Solution for Saving Our Time and Our Planet, the book, which includes a foreword by Danish architect Jan Gehl, describes a new way of looking at living – one that hundreds of mayors around the world have already embraced as a way to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. One of those is Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who said: “What is the 15-minute city? It’s the city of proximity, where you can find everything you need within 15 minutes of your home. This is a prerequisite for the ecological transformation of the city, while at the same time improving the daily lives of Parisians.”

Moreno explains why an increasing number of cities are planning to reduce people’s need for cars by locating key community services close to where they live. It also includes strategies for cities to recover from the pandemic and adapt for the benefit of residents, saving them time; techniques to help city residents who are automobile-dependent change their habits; and ways to maximise the social benefits of living in a human-centric city.

Born in Colombia in 1959, Moreno moved to France at the age of 20. He is now a university professor, international expert on the human smart city, and a Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor.

Several high-profile luminaries have praised Moreno’s new book. Gaetan Siew, past president of the International Union of Architects, said: “The narrative of the 15-minute city unfolds as a remarkable tale of transformative urban planning. It champions sustainability, resilience and an elevated quality of life, all while drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of cultural and social values.”

Mark Watts, chief executive of C40 Cities, said: “Professor Moreno’s role in revolutionising the way we think about urban living in the 21st century has been an enormous influence on both my own thinking and our work at C40 Cities. This new exploration of the 15-minute city couldn’t be more timely, as interest in the concept continues to grow rapidly and its ideas transform many of the world’s cities into greener, healthier and more pleasant places to live.”

Gil Penalosa, founder of 8 80 Cities, Cities for Everyone, hailed the concept as both simple and powerful. “Half of all urban homes that will exist within our children’s lives do not exist today,” he said. “We have a magnificent opportunity to build and improve today’s cities, following the exquisite advice in this book. Everyone who likes people and cities should read it, especially decision-makers.”

And Nicholas Boys Smith, founder of the social enterprise Create Streets, summarised: “Living in humane, verdant and traditional streets, in which it is easy and pleasant to walk or cycle and which don’t break up a town into artificially separate zones, is the natural human condition. We now also know that it supports happier, healthier and more sociable lives in which we tread more lightly upon the planet.

“What was once a ripple of conjecture has become a storm surge of evidence. This important and beautiful book sets out the journey back from cities scarred by traffic-modernism and how we can restitch our towns for the benefit of people, place and planet.”

The 15-Minute City: A Solution for Saving Our Time and Our Planet is published by Wiley and is available in e-book and print versions. For more details, click here.