Ranking the Top 15-Minute Cities of the United States

The rankings in a recent report are about the potential of U.S. cities to become more like the 15-minute city model provided by Paris.

1 minute read

August 19, 2021, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


San Francisco, California

4kclips / Shutterstock

Natalie Bicknell shares news of a new report by moveBuddha, an online company that shares information and resources for moving, that ranks U.S. cities by their achievement of the "15-minute city" ideal that has gained traction in urbanism circles in recent years.

"[Mi]d-size American cities of 250,000 to 750,000 residents dominated the rankings of the top 25 future 15-minute cities in the United States," report Bicknell of the report's findings. A few large cities "known for engaging in urban planning on the neighborhood level," namely, Chicago and Philadelphia also made the cut.

The report compares data from 78 large U.S. cities on metrics like bike and walk scores, access to dining, safety, child care, schools, medical facilities, and more, according to an article for moveBuddha by Joe Robison.

Bicknell includes one critical note about the methodology of the report. The study excluded destinations that could be accessed by transit. "The decision was based on guidance from the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), which has decided to omit transit from its definition of a 15-minute city," explains Bicknell.

So which cities topped the list? Miami came in at number one, with San Francisco and Pittsburgh coming in second and third, respectively.

Monday, August 16, 2021 in The Urbanist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive