The 15-minute city is an urban planning model that aims to provide residents access to most daily needs and services within a short walk, bike ride or transit trip of about 15 minutes from their homes. Missoula’s new downtown master plan embraces this concept by directing growth towards a denser, mixed-use downtown core that includes affordable housing options. By concentrating housing, jobs, amenities and mobility choices like walking, biking and transit in the downtown area, the plan seeks to create a more accessible and livable city center aligned with 15-minute city principles of urban proximity and connectivity. As a mid-sized city, implementing these strategies in Missoula’s downtown can help foster a sustainable, pedestrian-friendly environment with key destinations reachable within a 15-minute journey for residents.
