Redefining livability through 15-minute neighbourhoods in Bengaluru: an approach to enhance the quality of life through sustainable mobility

Abstract

a urban policy, Jana urban Space Foundation, bengaluru, india; b urban design, Jana urban Space Foundation, bengaluru, india ABSTRACT Rapid urbanization in india has strained infrastructure, mobility, and public spaces, reducing urban livability. By 2050, over 800 million people are expected to live in indian cities, worsening these challenges due to poor planning, outdated design standards, and capacity constraints. cities like Bengaluru, on their growth trajectory, face severe challenges such as congestion, flooding, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure due to urbanisation impacting the every day experience of citizens. traditional top-down master planning prioritizes large-scale infrastructure but often overlooks localized, people-centric needs. a decentralized, neighbourhood-focused approach is essential to create sustainable, inclusive communities where the residents move, eat, play, and feel included. Using Nallurahalli, Whitefield as a case study, this research applies a mixed-methods approach, including infrastructure bench-marking, user perception surveys, and mobility audits, to assess quality of life at a neighbourhood level. Findings highlight critical gaps in pedestrian infrastructure, last-mile connectivity, and public space accessibility, reinforcing the need for localized , neighbourhood-scale solutions-a gap effectively addressed through the 15-minute neighbourhood model. this study highlights the potential of 15-minute neighbourhoods to enhance mobility, reduce private vehicle dependence, and promote environmental sustainability. Drawing from empirical insights in Nallurahalli, it demonstrates how localized assessments can inform context-specific interventions aligned with the 15-minute neighbourhood concept. it also offers a methodological foundation that can support future efforts to operationalize neighbourhood-scale planning in indian cities. KEYWORDS 15-Minute neighbourhoods; inclusive urban development; quality of life; sustainable mobility; walkability and accessibility; neighbourhood-level planning this is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons attribution license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. the terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. 2 P. saRVaDeVaBhatla et al.