Episode 45 of the road.cc Podcast is now live, and features a topic that in recent weeks has evolved from being a concept known only to members of the Illuminati – sorry, we mean transport professionals – to join COVID-19 vaccines, climate change and global elites as the latest conspiracy theory embraced by wearers of tinfoil headgear.
We refer of course to 15-minute cities, the subject of a demonstration in Oxford last weekend which saw locals who may have legitimate concerns about low traffic neighbourhoods and similar issues joined by anti-vaxxers, climate change deniers and neo-Nazis, among others, to protest against the city’s plans to combat traffic congestion. Charming company, no?
These plans, they misleadingly claim, will see people confined to within 15 minutes of their homes by the New World Order, with some even drawing comparisons – shameful, unfounded comparisons – to the Warsaw Ghetto in which Jews were confined during World War 2.
After a brief explainer from Simon about what a 15-minute city actually is, and what it most certainly is not – he’s also penned an opinion piece relating how his experience of growing up in what was once billed ‘the Town of the Future ties in with the concept – award-winning transport author and journalist Carlton Reid joins George and Jack to explain just how this conspiracy theory blew up, the reality of the situation and how the hijacking of the issue by conspiracy theorists may influence active travel policy at local government level going forward.
Will decision makers cave in to the protests and threats, however unfounded they may be, or will the entry into the discussion on making our towns and cities better, more liveable places by purveyors of outlandish claims that ‘they’ want to control our lives result in greater support from the general public for 15-minute cities on the grounds that maybe they’re not such a bad thing if that is the type of opposition they attract?
The second segment of the episode, meanwhile, sees Ryan and Jack joined by Kate Ball from Wheels for Wellbeing, the charity that campaigns on behalf of disabled cyclists, who outlines some of the issues they are facing at the moment – including why the barriers people who use cycles as a mobility aid are not just physical ones.
The road.cc Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music, and if you have an Alexa you can just tell it to play the road.cc Podcast. It’s also embedded further up the page, so you can just press play.
56 thoughts on “Why is the 15-minute city attracting so many conspiracy theories? Plus access for disabled cyclists in the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast”
I’d like to listen to the
I’d like to listen to the podcast, but using the link above, it cuts out at 7:54.
Without being able to hear it, my opinion is that the establishment is stirring things up because this would challenge the dominance of the car.
eburtthebike wrote:
Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.
Are you trying to suggest that a multi-billion pound industry has been working together for decades to hide/disrupt climate science and deliberately sabotaged climate conferences to ensure that active travel isn’t given consideration?
Next, you’ll be suggesting that they use their huge advertising budget to influence the publishing/entertainment industry to push their agenda.
The link after first
The link after first paragraph or Apple Music, Spotify etc? It’s working for me, if you let me know if it’s desktop or mobile and which browser we can look into it. Might just need restarting if it’s cut out on you, apologies!
Thanks Jack, it was the link
Thanks Jack, it was the link above, which I’ve just tried again and it works.
will be trying to counter the
will be trying to counter the misinformation with my Spatial Design students this week and use this as an example of how groups delibertaly mis-inform to disrupt positive ideas, about how to fact check as well as cross check from several sources. I’m still regulalry surprised at how unable to undertake even simple research most of them are, relying on a single feed for their information, when there is so much variety online.
This ia an insane belief that
This ia an insane belief that handing over more and more freedoms, and willingly handing power to government and unelected bureaucrats, is a good idea.
The disastrous response to Covid, the utter failure of vaccines and inability to recognise this, means people are suspicious.
Slurs like Misinformation and conspiracy theories do you no favours, especially when you espouse your own, it merely panders to your echo chamber. Sneering jokes are an embarrassing way of admitting you can’t provide that information, it shows you can’t counter the questions.
The reason why people would be fearful and object, is because they can see no benefit, that the concept is borne out of a complete over reaction to climate change, or whatever you think it is for, and that it will do nothing anyway.
Roulereo wrote:
I don’t understand what you think the question is on 15 miinute cities.
As for freedoms, what freedom do you think is being taken away?
If you want people to bother to respond to your concerns, what specifically are they?
Again my point is proven by
Again my point is proven by being called a nutter here. You have failed in your ‘argument’ when you just blindly disparage the other side.
Road blocks are installed, without actually implementing all of the services claimed. Does every area have all the services they claim? Wat is the list of ‘services’ we are allowed to have in our area?
Not everyone rides a bike. Not everyone hates cars. No everyone is a Chardonnay Socialist. Not everyone wants to hand over their freedoms. Not everyone wants the older generations esentially trapped in their ‘area’.
The NPC’s get 2 permits per week per household to travel outside their designated area. You would have to apply (I assume) for special dispensation for carers, but who and what defines that? I travel to see my elderley parents twice weekly, so that means my wife and son can’t drive their cars outside our ‘area’?
The meainstream media is fully on board with the propaganda here, which is a massive red flag. They are pumping out “Conspiracy theories debunked” stories nineteen to the dozen. Why the sudden need to ‘educate’?
Before the Covid grift dried up, these bureaucrats were keen on locking down people in fear of a virus that had a >99% survival rate, pushing a vaccine that isn’t actually a vaccine (ie. it doesn’t stop you getting it, hence it needs boosters to be ‘effective’, and neither does it stop you spreading said virus).
How is that misinformation, if that is true?
The mainstream media is happy pushing another government agenda for a return of those lovely advertising dollars and more clicks for controversy. Just like you have the Left being anti-war in Iraq but suddenly are war mongers in Ukraine, it doesn’t make sense so should be questioned.
Roulereo wrote:
It’s a well-worn trope in the age of the conspiracy theory to claim that all arguments are deserving of equal consideration and that the “other side” has lost if they don’t perform some form of due diligence in rebutting them. However this is clearly nonsense: if someone claims that the moon is made of blue cheese they do not deserve a full scientific explanation of why they are wrong, they deserve to be derided, as do people claiming that FMCs mean you will only be allowed to leave your area twice a week.
Indeed. For the unsure
Indeed. For the unsure guidance may reassure. Otherwise “What is claimed without evidence can be dismissed without evidence”. And for the “see! They’re trying to dismiss us!” the usual “They laughed at Galileo – but they also laughed at Coco the clown”.
As MungeCrundle notes – caution about the motives and designs of our Lords and masters is wise. However too many unrelated dots are being joined here. And it’s fair to ask those who are saying “No!” “what’s *your* goal then?”
It *is* misinformation,
It *is* misinformation, because its not true.
As has been written elsewhere, the purpose of the fifteen minute city proposals is that you wouldn’t have to travel more than fifteen minutes to get to the shops or amenities.
Nobody (except you?) is saying that you *cannot* travel more than fifteen minutes from home.
Roulereo wrote:
That’s not how they work at all.
Here’s details on the Oxford trial scheme: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/connecting-oxfordshire/traffic-filters
The filters are there to limit traffic into Oxford and are in just 6 locations and are time limited, mostly between 7am and 7pm, so driving cars is fine outside those hours. They don’t trap people into areas, they’re designed to move traffic to larger ring roads etc and reduce the amount of cars which will assist most journeys as that frees up the roads for vans, buses, taxis etc.
If you’re outside of Oxfordshire, you can register yourself as an informal carer to your parents and specify which one of the filters to be exempt from, so you can drive to your parents with no restrictions as long as you don’t go driving through the other filters. It would be you who decides if you’re an informal carer.
As to your anti-war nonsense – there’s a clear distinction between defending where you live and invading another country. I was most definitely against the bullshit war in Iraq (though it was the so-called “left” PM Tony Blair that lied to get us into it) and I am also very much against the war in Ukraine. Russia should immediately withdraw and thus end the war. The people of Ukraine meanwhile, have every right to defend where they live against the aggressive actions of Putin and I support assisting them in that defence.
Roulereo wrote:
Non player characters?
I wondered that.
I wondered that.
In Oxford every part of the city will be accessible from any other part. You might have to drive a bit further.
hirsute wrote:
But only with the permission of a dungeon master 😉
brooksby wrote:
But only with the permission of a dungeon master 😉— hirsute
You’re talking about D&D, right?
Right?
hawkinspeter wrote:
Of course. (Mind you, after I posted that I suddenly saw how it could be read…).
@Roulero you replied to me.
@Roulero you replied to me. I didn’t call you a nutter, so I don’t understand the reference.
What is a NPC? There are no permits, or plans for permits, for movement in the UK. Your reference to two a week is misinformation you have picked up.
You can still drive to anywhere in the UK at anytime without hinderance, so if you are not fortunate to have everything you need within 15 minutes then there is no impediment. Wouldn’t you want more local services? That is what 15 minute cities are about. More services you can access without needing to use a car.
I am not going to bother arguing with you on COVID. This is a 15 minute city thread and there is logical no cross over with COVID.
I am sceptical about many forms of media. Mainstream or otherwise, but you need to worry about where you are getting your information from as much as I need to.
“Slurs like Misinformation
“Slurs like Misinformation and conspiracy theories do you no favours, especially when you espouse your own……”
You? Who?
Roulereo wrote:
What specific freedom is it that 15 minutes neighbourhoods encroaches upon?
Freedom to pollute.
Freedom to pollute.
hirsute wrote:
It doesn’t even enroach on that. You can still drive to the shops/GP/post office if you want to. You just no longer *have* to.
Roulereo wrote:
That should be heading rather than body text.
Roulereo wrote:
— RoulereoHow many insane things are you supposed to believe before breakfast?
You seem to be conflating
You seem to be conflating quite a few well worn hobby horses; vaccines, climate change, general mistrust of government and are now mixing in a new concern about a fear of losing your rights to free movement by making a leap of logic that future urban planning policy which gives more consideration to the (not novel at all) idea of having; shops, schools, primary healthcare services, work opportunities and recreational facilities in proximity to where people live and which is not solely designed around the convenience of getting there by private motor car is somehow going to lead to Chinese style travel restrictions.
Personally, I thank you for your vigilance on government overreach, but just having spent a very enjoyable city break in the pedestrian friendly City of York, I’m an absolute supporter of the 15 minute city concept.
I call this photo: “LTNs will kill local businesses and destroy town centres”
Mungecrundle wrote:
Personally, I thank you for your vigilance on government overreach, but just having spent a very enjoyable city break in the pedestrian friendly City of York, I’m an absolute supporter of the 15 minute city concept.— Mungecrundle
I couldn’t agree more. Very well put!
the utter failure of vaccines
Roulereo: the utter failure of vaccines and inability to recognise this
How is misinformation from a blatant malevolent nutter allowed to persist on this site?
wtjs wrote:
Which one?
Agreed- there are so many to
Agreed- there are so many to choose from. I must have forgotten to ‘reply’ to this newer nutter, but post is now corrected
Educational…
The answers from some readers who have replied to the original comment are thoughtful and informative, so we’re not deleting the thread right now. I’m not remotely concerned that right-thinking people are likely to be misinformed about 15-minute cities by reading through these comments at the moment.
It was the intensely stupid
It was the intensely stupid and malevolent misinformation the utter failure of vaccines and inability to recognise this that I was complaining about, as was clear in my comment.
Understood and I agree with
Understood and I agree with you on this point, apologies if that wasn’t clear. We have taken some action but left the thread itself up as an example of how to counter misinformation, if that makes sense.
You don’t have to be a
You don’t have to be a cyclist or ‘woke’ – in fact I think people who consider themselves as ‘woke’ need to wake up and smell the coffee sometimes – to see we are gradually having our freedoms impinged upon. Unfortunately anyone who has woken up and is joining the dots is labelled as a ‘conspiracy theorist’. We need to worry about the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, mandatory medicine from people who are on flim telling us years ago that they want population reduction by vaccine as well as providing traffic insfrastructure that works for pedestrains, cyclists and cars. I’ve been a cyclist since 1983, had many no fault incidents with motorists but am able to recognise infrastructure/policy that causes the demise of local businesses or keeps people trapped and unable to visit family is never going to win us (cyclists) friends. If we (when I say we I mean ‘elected’ UK governing party) weren’t spending BILLIONS of our money on long range weopons systems we could finish HS2 ( ie what was started- before talking about more runways) and have an infrastructure that keeps pedestrians, cyclists and cars safely segregated (for example more underpasses or bridges where appropriate). By all means report on what affects cyclists, but don’t label people who can see a bigger picture emerging as ‘conspiracy theorists’. Check out what Jean Paul Marat had to say about those in power 😉 . The conspiracy theories are not wacky, see both sides of the coin not just one.
Just as one example as to how
Just as one example as to how disconnected you are from reality, the cost of completing HS2 has been estimated as high as £170 billion; the UK’s nuclear weapons budget is around £6.5 billion per annum, so scrapping our nuclear arsenal (something, incidentally, I would fully support) would not give us a magic wand to solve our transport woes even with reference to that one specific project.
Please provide, as I’m sure you can because you wouldn’t just be spouting nonsense for the sake of it, an example of how cycling/active travel infrastructure in the UK has trapped people in their homes and stopped them visiting family. Just one example.
By the way, “mandatory medicine from people who are on flim telling us years ago that they want population reduction by vaccine”; you are of course referring to Mr Gates, I take it? He pointed out that it is proven that birthrates fall as mortality rates fall (quite obviously, as the need to have the largest possible family in the hope that a few will survive to adulthood is removed) and so it should be possible through vaccination programmes to reduce birthrates and ultimately stop the current cycle of population explosion. That’s rather different to “reducing the population by vaccine”.
Rendel Harris wrote:
I can’t help our new friend here *, but here’s a video of a place in the UK where nearly 90% of children walk or cycle to school – presumably because their parents were trapped by the pavements and shared use paths and thus unable to drive them?
Here’s a UK town with a largely pedestrianised city centre. Clearly killed off the tourist trade there **!
Here’s a place (not in the UK) blighted by the removal of motor cars and a massive parking lot from the city centre – now it’s like a ghost town – look how miserable the few people look **.
And here is a place with over a thousand people with literally no roads – how bonkers is that? How do they get deliveries, how do the emergency services get through? They’re ALL trapped ** … except those who have a boat (they have canals) or can walk, wheel or cycle.
* No doubt some of their underlying concerns are correct – in that that things are changing at an increasing pace. We as individuals or even groups (up to the size of a state!) can be powerless in the face of new technologies, the banks, massive old corporations that have been a *requirement* for some generations now (like the fuel and motoring businesses) and some new(ish) ones which look to have a stranglehold on the business of our information, communication and interactions. The latter seem likely to become ever more “services” which we are then dependent on to accomplish what are basic human tasks…
** That’s sarcasm, sorry.
hmsgenoa wrote:
I completely agree – I believe you’re referring to processes termed “domestication” and (later) “civilisation“? Terrifyingly this has been underway since long before human history!
Although … since humans are a chimpanzee species which tends to group into bands anyway and within those exhibit “coercive social control” … perhaps the place to draw the line about our “individual freedoms and autonomy” dates back to pre-modern human times?
The above is probably a bit fringe or even wacky – perhaps we can all agree that the neolithic revolution was really where the rot started?
chrisonabike wrote:
Open your eyes* – they’ve been manipulating and controlling us since the Great Oxidation!
[* if you’ve evolved any yet]
mdavidford wrote:
Free the gene! I think our corporate “selfishness” really started with cells (see – even sounds the same!) And as for eukaryotes, they’re the gigafactories of life!
chrisonabike wrote:
“This planet has, or had, a problem, which was this. Most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small, green pieces of paper, which is odd, because on the whole, it wasn’t the small, green pieces of paper which were unhappy. And so the problem remained, and lots of the people were mean, and most of them were miserable, even the ones with digital watches. Many were increasingly of the opinion that they’d all made a big mistake coming down from the trees in the first place, and some said that even the trees had been a bad move, and that no-one should ever have left the oceans. And then one day, nearly two thousand years after one man had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change, a girl, sitting on her own in a small cafe in Rickmansworth suddenly realised what it was that had been going wrong all this time and she finally knew how the world could be made a good and happy place. This time it was right, it would work, and no-one would have to get nalied to anything. Sadly, however, before she could get to a phone to tell anyone, the Earth was unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass and so the idea was lost forever.”
– Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
That the Manchester arena
That the Manchester arena bombing was faked is something we should give credence to.
Of course, and all those crisis actor ones too.
Hirsute wrote:
Do you mean the last decade or so of ‘government’?
hmsgenoa wrote:
THE EMPIRE NEVER ENDED!
hawkinspeter wrote:
I know a good book about that!
chrisonabike wrote:
I know a good book about that!
— hawkinspeterThanks for the reminder, I’ve been meaning to get hold of a copy.
hawkinspeter wrote:
You mean because Queen Victoria got herself cloned and then built a new fleet of warships somewhere in the Unknown Regions (Norfolk)?
brooksby wrote:
No, not that empire, the Roman Empire
https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/War-Is-A-Racket
“Fish cannot carry guns.”
― Philip K. Dick, VALIS
hawkinspeter wrote:
What about sharks with lasers, though? And actually – there are those trigger-happy archerfish (not the triggerfish). And quick-draw shooting shrimps (if you find it in water, it’s a fish).
Sometimes, even if you don’t
Sometimes, even if you don’t find it in water, it’s a fish.
There are a lot of undercover
There are a lot of undercover fish out (of the water) there… Come to think of it, I may be one.
chrisonabike wrote:
Only uno-fish-ally, though.
chrisonabike wrote:
They might be able to operate guns, but they can’t carry them. They have to be fitted with some kind of harness.
Or is it more that we must not allow them to carry guns?
I bet it’s only a matter of
I bet it’s only a matter of time before one of those octopodes finds a firearm and figures it out (a glocktopus?) They’re already carrying around coconuts – presumably to fool other marine life that they’re riding horses?
hmsgenoa wrote:
…
The conspiracy theories are not wacky, see both sides of the coin not just one.
— hmsgenoaI could be described as ‘woke’ and I drink plenty of coffee, thanks. If you wish to use the word as a slur then you’re just another reactionary c**t and not worth the time of day. Go back to your cave, the world has moved on – women can vote now, even! I’m sure you find that revelation truly scandalous.
And why do you think conspiracy theorists are scorned? Because they are mostly spouting utter rubbish with no hard evidence to back it up. I’m in favour of listening to different perspectives but without evidence AKA facts then it’s just bullshit.
hmsgenoa wrote:
Yup – there have been cons against “the people” forever – but over the last hundred years or so there is one which stands out particularly – our blind spot for mass motoring. Literally getting people’s “freedoms” reversed. And then convincing the customers that instead of literally being in debt to The Man (see “finance” in recent years) they’re buying “freedom”. (Here are some cheerful examples – from the 50s, from more recently).
Of course – “it’s our choice.” But … did we carefully check the terms and conditions? Unfortunately nobody has time for that! Perhaps we should hve – maybe when we finally realised that we were being sold products which were literally damaging our brains and those of our children…
See above for leaded petrol – ah – but we have “low emission” vehicles (brought to us by the same people) and now “zero emissions” vehicles (ditto). That solves this all, right…? (Generally better – but still polluting locally, basically)
hmsgenoa wrote:
I’m probably not in the market for this one – too many dots being joined I think.
ME TOO RIGHT! It’s stroads and out-of-town shopping developments, isn’t it? And the growth of housing estates without proper urban centres (shops, other amenities) which are often poorly served by public transport – or indeed not at all. Am I right?
Like Rendel I’m up for “swords into plowshares”. Although that’s a bit difficult – if you really embrace that it can cost your freedom, your (and your family’s, and your country’s) wellbeing and indeed your lives … that is, without finding a way of addressing some of the other aggressive and expansionist folks and their people’s fears…
… but I’m not quite sure about the link between HS2 (essentially “people from London get to a few places in the north about 20 minutes faster”) and demise of businesses and people being trapped… or is it this is a “flying” alternative? That does come down to being able to get there by train but also all governments seem very keen to keep subsidising flying – perhaps we should start there?
We got there at last! I like this bit! Apparently the favoured language is “separated” now (sounds less like some kind of apartheid) but that’s a detail.
I think what we need is a bit of Chris Boardman* of Active Travel England explaining some of these ideas in practical terms (talk here). Not to “impose cycling” on people but actually looking at problems people have in their daily transport needs and suggesting some interventions which would give them more choice. Including the important choice to “do nothing” – but then to understand the consequences you’re accepting.
Because maintaining or even making more room for driving … increases driving – which leads to e.g. more congestion, worse health for kids (and in fact everyone) because crashes, pollution and inactivity, actually costs us all tax money…
* Though in the past he has had a company selling bikes as far as I am aware he’s not in favour of anyone being trapped or any freedoms removed.