“War” Secretary Hesgeth Endorses 15 Minute City Model

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You just can’t make this stuff up. While conservatives around the world are waging holy war against the “15 Minute City” concept, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has gone all-in on the idea. His newly announced “Fortress America” military resilience plan includes a new vision for military bases that embraces walkability and quality of life. If that sounds like the 15 Minute City plan in action, it is. Oh, lordy…

What Is A 15 Minute City?

Walkable communities are as old as the hills. That’s what people did before automobiles hit the scene and cities were organized around cars. Credit for applying the walkability model to 21st century urban planning goes to the Franco-Colombian scientist Carlos Moreno, who formalized the 15 Minute City concept in 2016. The idea got a further boost of attention when the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, pitched walkable, bike-able neighborhoods as part of her successful re-election campaign in 2020.

The COVID-19 lockdown of 2020 was also a pivotal moment, with a surge in work-from-home households drawing attention to the need for local resources as a matter of survival and resiliency in case of a widespread emergency.

The 15 Minute City model covers a lot of ground, but the basic idea is that people should be able to do their shopping, recreation, socializing, and other essential routines within walking or biking distance from their homes, making cars largely optional within the neighborhood. Walkable access to schools and health care is also part of the plan.

The argument for 15-minute cities (also called 15-minute neighborhoods or 15-minute communities) is also pretty straightforward. Walking is healthier than sitting in a car. Avoiding injury or death from car accidents is another plus. Walking also reduces carbon emissions, and it saves money on gas.

In addition, walkability levels the playing field, so to speak. Everyone in the 15-minute zone has walkable access to basic resources, regardless of whether or not they can afford a car. In other words, there is a significant equity and inclusion element to the concept…

What, Exactly, Is Wrong With A 15 Minute City?

…and, that’s where the trouble kicks in. In 2022 the World Economic Forum posted an article by Lisa Chamberlain, the founder of the urban communications and business firm Strategies for City Builders. Chamberlain describes a 15 Minute City as characterized by diversified, mixed-use neighborhoods built to withstand shocks like COVID-19 and climate change.

“As climate change and global conflict cause shocks and stresses at faster intervals and increasing severity, the 15-minute city will become even more critical,” Chamberlain emphasized, with a further emphasis on equity and inclusion:

“Specifically, communities that foster and maintain social and economic relationships don’t have to be wealthy, but they do need to be walkable and safe, with both residential and commercial buildings intact. And, I would add, for 15-Minute Cities to thrive, not just survive crises—and this cannot be stressed enough—they must also have plenty of mixed-income and equitable housing, as well as digital access.”

It didn’t take long for the conspiracy machine to kick into action around the globe. In February of 2023, for example, the Australian news organization ABC radio summed up the 15 Minute City conspiracy theory thusly:

“To some, it’s an urban planning concept that promotes sustainable and healthy living.

“To a small group of others, it’s a plot by ‘tyrannical bureaucrats’ to take our cars and control our lives, which could lead to a real-life Hunger Games scenario.”

“Limiting cars and promoting pedestrian or bike access is framed as a slippery slope to government-run, open-air prisons,” ABC continued.

Yikes! ABC also cites the Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson. who railed against “idiot tyrannical bureaucrats” who “decide by fiat where you’re ‘allowed’ to drive…and, make no mistake, it’s part of a well-documented plan” (emphasis added).

The US Department Of Defense Has A Well-Documented Plan To Take Away Your Freedoms

Ohfergawdsakes, of course there is a well documented plan, and it’s called urban planning. And, that’s where the US Department of Defense comes in.

On September, in a move that sailed under the CleanTechnica radar, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the new “FORTRESS America” plan, with FORTRESS representing “Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability.”

Stripping away Secretary Hegseth’s testosterone-fueled purple prose in the September 30 announcement, FORTRESS AMERICA applies the 15 Minute City urban planning model to major Defense Department bases in the US, ensuring they can operate independently of civilian infrastructure for a sustained period of time. That includes everything needed to support community life in addition to the supplies needed to sustain military operations.

FORTRESS America even goes beyond the initial 15 Minute City concept. As envisioned under the “Next Great American Base” element of the program, a central feature of the plan consists of access to a reliable source of on-site energy.

If The US Military Embraces 15 Minute Cities, Why Can’t We?

Don’t just take my word for it. “The program aligns basing and infrastructure projects to ensure they are collectively advancing toward greater independence,” Hegseth stated in the official order, with independence referring to the capability to sustain operations within a facility that is cut off from civilian resources. In other words, sustainable urban planning for military facilities.

Hegseth tasked the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment to carry out the new order. The base design part of the order was passed along to Dale Marks, the Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations, and Environment.

Marks did not let the 15 Minute City grass grow under his feet. In a public presentation on October 29, he emphasized the importance of building quality of life into a sustainable model for military facilities in the US.

“Let us build installations worthy of the warriors who call them home,” Marks emphasized. “The nation shouldn’t expect warfighters to focus on high stakes, multidomain operations when they come home to base housing with black mold, failing plumbing and leaky roofs.”

“Substandard living conditions are not minor inconveniences. They are an active drain on morale, combat readiness and our retention of top-tier talent,” Marks elaborated.

It’s not just a matter of rehabbing military housing. In the presentation, Marks made the case for a full blown 15 Minute City model. “The Next Great American Base will include a compact, walkable concept with premier schools, advanced healthcare and town centers that foster community,” Marks continued, neatly summing up the fundamentals of 15 Minute Cities in a nutshell.

Marks anticipates that state governors and other stakeholders will compete to see where the first “Next Great American Base” will be constructed. Once complete, the new facility, and its 15 Minute City, will serve as a model for future projects.

As for the on-site power generation angle, nuclear energy gets the pole position — for now. As Marks and Hegseth both emphasize, though, speed is of the essence. Results are demanded within months, if not weeks. That leaves plenty of room for solar-enabled microgrids to throw their hat into the FORTRESS America ring. After all, if speed-to-power is the name, solar and batteries are the game…

Image: The 15 Minute City model calls for walkable, bike-able access to basic services and resources, a concept that has been embraced by none other than the US Department of Defense (courtesy of Rutgers University).