City Life Reimagined: 15-Minute Neighbourhoods & Wild Urban Rewilding

What if city life could be greener, healthier, and more connected? In this Climate Month episode of Good News from Planet Earth, host Diana Holguin explores how urban planners and communities are reimagining cities to work better for people, pollinators, and the planet.

The 15-Minute City model is transforming urban spaces so that everything from schools and shops to healthcare and parks is within a short walk or bike ride. Paris is leading the way with new bike lanes, playground-parks, and even a cleaner River Seine open for swimming after the 2024 Olympics. Bogotá has converted temporary bike lanes into permanent ones, Melbourne has embraced 20-minute neighbourhoods, and these changes are boosting health, reducing emissions, and building stronger communities.

At the same time, a wave of urban rewilding projects is bringing nature back into city landscapes. Singapore’s vertical “Supertrees,” Parisian green rooftops and urban farms, and UK roundabouts turned into wildflower meadows are creating habitats for bees, cooling streets, and improving flood resilience. From rewilded rivers in London to beaver releases that help wetlands recover, cities are showing that biodiversity and climate action can thrive alongside urban life.

Listeners will also learn how to get involved in reshaping their own communities: walking or biking instead of driving, planting pollinator-friendly flowers, volunteering with local rewilding groups, and advocating for shared streets and green corridors.

If you are looking for good news about climate solutions and want to imagine a future where cities are healthier, more walkable, and full of nature, this episode is full of inspiration.

Narrated by Diana Holguin from Voiceover for the Planet

Research and Further Reading:

Wikipedia – 15 minute city

Stranger Collective – 15 minute city

WeForum – Cities Rewilding

Forbes – Parisian Open Rooftop Farming

Reddit – Swansea Roundabouts are a Wildlife Haven

The Times – Beavers and ReWiggling Rivers

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Good News from Planet Earth is brought to you by Voiceover for the Planet, proud members of 1% for the Planet.

Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud

Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios

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