The TSU's Inaugural Annual Lecture

On 29 February 2024, the TSU was excited to hold the inaugural TSU Annual lecture. As the final event in the TSU Seminar Series, the Annual Lecture seeks to engage a broad audience in discussion and reflection on a transport-related topic that both garners broad interest and has widespread impact.  

Prof. Carlos Moreno joined us in the Examination Schools to speak on the 15 Minute City concept, of which he is the founder. The audience, comprising of academics, practitioners, local residents and students, were taken on a journey of how the concept was developed and explored the many manifestations of 15-minute cities across the globe today. 

In conversation with discussant Dr Enrica Papa and host Prof Tim Schwanen, Carlos proposed that the next phase of the 15-minute city involves moving beyond a re-imagining of life-styles to reinventing work-styles. Speaking directly to the coining of the concept, Moreno stressed that the emphasis should be on sustainable proximities, rather than prescribing a temporal distance.

The audience were invited to engage with the panel resulting in a varied array of thought-provoking questions: from whether the concept infringes on individual freedoms, to funding of cycle paths and the role of academics and the media in combating misinformation and better communicating such concepts. Carlos, Enrica and Tim expanded on these topics and the conversation could have extended far beyond the two hours allocated to the event. 

The Annual Lecture invited Carlos to join the 15-minute city conversation already taking place in Oxford, and based on the levels of interest in the room, added some fuel to a discourse that will continue into the foreseeable future. 

To view a recording of the lecture click here

Join us next year when we hope to recreate the success of our inaugural event, highlighting another transport-related concern equally deserving of public discussion.