Smart 15-Minute Cities: All Your Daily Needs

 

“The focus of Doctor’s Choice is based on keeping healthy the natural way, being fully knowledgeable using preventive means in order to make informed decisions.”

 

We are familiar with the smart concept: phones, homes, computers or cars are already available and now the newest model talks about smart cities. You may be asking: what does this have to do with health? Well, the connection is definitely there since living in a healthy environment is critical to your health. Of course, there are always two sides to every story and ultimately it is your decision to be in favour or to oppose the idea—our intent is to create a healthy awareness.

Selling the idea of a ‘15-minute city’ might be tempting for a lot of people. When you think about your daily living and providing your family’s needs, fulfillment is found within your intimate community where you live. It becomes your space, your town, with everything conveniently located a short distance from your home. Most people seek to live this way and count themselves blessed if they have such opportunities, knowing they have the freedom of movement at any time their heart desires. But what if security and freedom of movement becomes restricted to only include your selected region? Would you still feel free or would you feel trapped?

According to World Economic Forum (WEF)—a private corporation comprised of a group of global elites who gather on an annual bases to plan the future of humanity—plans included in their Agenda 2021 and 2030 “[o]ne of the biggest urban ideas to emerge from the pandemic is the idea of the 15-minute city or 15-minute neighbourhood.”[1] The term 15-minute city is not a new one. It was coined back in 2016 by Carlos Moreno, an associate professor at Sorbonne University Business School in Paris, France. “15-minute city refers to a place where all the necessities of daily life—shops, schools, workplaces, doctor’s offices, parks, libraries, restaurants and other amenities—are located in a short 15-minute walk or bike ride from home. In this way, each neighbourhood becomes an ‘isochrone’, an area that can be explored within a given time, giving all residents access to their needs a convenient walk away.”[2]  

Sounds like a lovely idea, doesn’t it? Kind of crude example reminiscent of the first time I visited the Calgary Zoo. I marveled at wide expanse each animal enclosure provided; it was very impressive, developed in such a way that suggests what their natural habitat was like in the wild. The thing is they were not in the wild, they knew exactly where their boundaries were, and they were fed a diet to keep them tranquil. The animals knew they were trapped while their every movement entertained the viewing guests. The WEF article goes on to state that “[t]he 15-minute city aims to reorganize physical space around the human experience of time. Workers can live near their offices or co-working spaces, eliminating the commute. Anyone can walk to a small, nearby park without having to hunt for parking spaces.”[3]

According to a tweet by Dr. Jordan Peterson, “[t]he idea that neighborhoods should be walkable is lovely. The idea that idiot tyrannical bureaucrats can decide by fiat where you’re “allowed” to drive is perhaps the worst imaginable perversion of that idea–and, make no mistake, it’s part of a well-documented plan.”[4]

Most concepts earmarked for the good of the people start out looking very attractive. As they progress, changes that were not disclosed in the original plans are implemented. It is similar to when a politician running for office is promising you everything you want to hear but once elected little if anything is delivered.

The word SMART in smart communities stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. The flipside of those opposed to the concept describe SMART as surveillance, monitoring, analysis, reporting and technology. The implementation and data collection will be shared with privately funded organizations such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), World Health Organization (WHO), World Economic Forum (WEF), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)—powerful, international organizations working for global interests in an effort to control your health, finances, actions, behaviour and movement.

Centrally controlled digital currency and the reorganization of cities with the SMART city plan will restrict the use of automobiles to specific zones. 5G or 6G towers will be erected throughout the city, facial recognition cameras will be on every corner and payment for goods will be as simple as retinal scan. The manipulation of food production has already started “growing food for growing cities”[5]—the Gates Foundation has spent billions of dollars implementing dietary changes to help society cope with climate change and overpopulation. According to Elon Musk, “[t]he biggest issue in 20 years will be population collapse. Not explosion. Collapse. Community growing warehouses to be built, engineered food production, including your protein needs with cricket farms, eliminating the supply side need for transport, from warehouse to grocery store all within the 15-minute city. For some it will be ‘home sweet home’ and for other it will be living in the Matrix.

The surveillance and control systems being implemented include land control by revising land use bylaws and rezoning cities. A recent example of land use bylaw revisions occurred in Alberta in the town of Cochrane, where the town council approved the towns membership in the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB), that effectively gives the City of Calgary unacceptable authority over the town of Cochrane in any growth and servicing plans that would appear to be a capitulation to the United Nations restrictive Agenda 2030, including environmental and sustainable growth.[6]

According to an article written by Arthur C. Green in Western Standard, “[a]fter closely watching residents in Oxford, UK (who are testing this concept now) we are learning that their municipal governments are rapidly moving the goal-posts on the freedom to leave your 15 min city.”[7] The article goes on to showcase what has already been implemented, e.g. residents being fined for leaving their zone for work, “furthermore, there are cement jersey barricades set up at entry and exit points in many Oxford neighbourhoods. This leaves those residents wondering if barricade points will be manned with guards in the future who will “check your papers” before being allowed to enter or exit your 15 min city zone.”[8]

The idea of 15-minute cities grained traction during Covid, and with climate change being presented as the next fear factor, restricted movement sold as pedestrianization approach that contributes to a reduction in individuals’ carbon emissions and supports a climate-resilient city that is environmentally sustainable.

Everything looks great in the planning stages and selling this novel living experience makes perfect sense, a dream having everything at your fingertips to make your life more relaxed while improving climate change. Just remember, nightmares are also dreams. In this new reality, any opposition will be classified as a conspiracy theory: going along with the agenda while labeling the dissenter as being irrational. These labels are used when there is no argument or when the end game is not supposed to be exposed. The Covid experience is very fresh in the minds of society; it went from two weeks to flatten the curb to three years of lockdowns and control. What if another crisis is unleashed with the WHO in charge? How simple it would be to lock down the segmented 15-minute cities? Those who comply would move freely within their zone but what about the others, what would happen to them?

The focus of Doctor’s Choice is based on keeping healthy the natural way, being fully knowledgeable using preventive means in order to make informed decisions in order to avoid sickness and to avoid a lifelong dependency of taking synthetic pharmaceutical drugs. Your living space is conducive to good health and it is indicative during the planning and implementation of smart or 15-minute cites to be fully informed and to hold those responsible by voicing your concerns. Facebook posts, videos and blogs are great but they rarely produce a change, so you need to become personally active for changes such as these to happen. Attend your local city council meetings; if protests are planned join right in as it is still your democratic right at the moment. Write your city mayor and council members, your MLA and the premier. I would include the prime minister but sadly that may do no good. Instead, write the opposition leader, The Honourable Pierre Poilievre at pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca.

Voice your concerns because it is matters like these that will shape your future and the future of your children. Please, feel free to let us know your opinion on this matter. The outcome will affect us all.

Doctor’s Choice Products for Daily Health and Mental Clarity:

References:

[1] Ratti, Carlo – Florida, Richard. 2021.

[2] ibid.

[3] ibid.

[4] Peterson, Jordan. 2022.

[5] Reardon, Thomas A. 2016.

[6] More information about the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board here: https://www.calgarymetroregion.ca/

[7] Green, Arthur C. 2023.

[8] ibid.