The claim: ’15-minute city’ planned in Ottawa will confine residents
A Jan. 19 Facebook post (direct link, archived link) features a screenshot of a tweet that includes a photo of a sign with the words “15-minute city” written on it.
“Ugh a sign at a construction site in downtown Ottawa,” reads the tweet’s caption.
“Ready to be confined within 15 minutes of your home? For the rest of your life?” reads the Facebook post’s caption. “It’s coming and only people who are dead on the inside will not understand.”
The post was shared more than 60 times since it was posted. Other versions of the claim using the same image of the sign are circulating on Facebook and Twitter.
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Our rating: False
While Ottawa officials are planning to implement the “15-minute cities” concept in the city, the creator of the concept and city officials say it will not restrict the movements of citizens.
New reforms won’t prevent Ottawans from leaving their neighborhoods
In November 2022, Ottawa’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved the New Official Plan, which maps out a long-term development and infrastructure plan for the city.
Much of what the plan calls its “Five Big Moves” are based on the idea of 15-minute neighborhoods, which Ottawa officials describe as communities where most essential services citizens need are within a 15-minute walk.
But none of the new policies will limit residents’ mobility throughout the city, according to David Wise, acting director of Economic Development and Long-Range Planning for the city.
“The idea of 15-minute cities is not new and has nothing to do with banning or restricting movement,” Wise said in an email. “It is about the idea of giving people the option to walk to meet their daily or weekly needs by allowing destinations to be closer together, and improving conditions to make the journey safer and more enjoyable.”
There is nothing in the text of the plan that suggests residents will be restricted to their neighborhoods.
The signage pictured in the post belongs to the Ottawa property development company Brigil, whose logo is visible in the post.
Sylvie Carbonneau, a spokesperson for Brigil, confirmed the sign pictured in the posts is located at one of the company’s construction sites at 265 Catherine Street in Ottawa.
The idea for the upcoming housing and commercial development at the site is that “residents will be within a 15-minute walk from all services, which will be easily and safely accessible,” Carbonneau told USA TODAY in an email.
While the team at Brigil was “deeply inspired” by the 15-minute neighborhoods concept, “it is not something that the council/local government has requested as a matter of policy,” Carbonneau said.
This is not the first time social media users have misrepresented the aims of 15 and 20-minute city plans around the world.
Carlos Moreno, the creator of the “15-minute cities” concept, previously told USA TODAY the notion that 15-minute cities will restrict or confine residents to their neighborhoods is false.
Fact check: False claim ’15-minute cities’ are actually ‘climate lockdowns’
Another iteration of the viral post claims residents will “own nothing” and that “climate checkpoints” will be introduced as a result of the 15-minute neighborhood policies.
But that’s not true either, according to Wise and Liam Harrington, an assistant to Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
The Ottawa New Official Plan does not include any policies that would restrict residents’ possessions or create “climate checkpoints.”
USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the posts for comment. The Facebook user did not provide evidence for their claim.
Reuters also debunked this claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- USA TODAY, Feb. 9, Fact check: False claim Scottish government will restrict residents to their neighborhoods
- USA TODAY, Feb. 6, Fact check: False claim ’15-minute cities’ are actually ‘climate lockdowns’
- USA TODAY, Dec. 23, 2022, Fact check: False claim UK city will test ‘climate lockdowns’ in 2024
- Brigil, accessed March 1, Why Choose Brigil
- Brigil, accessed March 1, Catherine Street in Ottawa
- City of Ottawa, Nov. 4, New Official Plan
- City of Ottawa, Nov. 25, 2021, Council approves New Official Plan
- City of Ottawa, Nov. 24, 2021, Official Plan
- City of Ottawa, Sept. 27, 2021, 15-minute neighbourhoods
- City of Ottawa, Aug. 13, 2019, The 5 Big Moves
- David Wise, M