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news
road.cc Podcast episode 45Why is the 15-minute city attracting so many conspiracy theories? Plus access for disabled cyclists in the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast
Episode 45 of the road.cc Podcast is now live, and features a topic that in recent weeks has evolved from being a concept known only to members of the Illuminati – sorry, we mean transport professionals – to join COVID-19 vaccines, climate change and global elites as the latest conspiracy theory embraced by wearers of tinfoil headgear.
We refer of course to 15-minute cities, the subject of a demonstration in Oxford last weekend which saw locals who may have legitimate concerns about low traffic neighbourhoods and similar issues joined by anti-vaxxers, climate change deniers and neo-Nazis, among others, to protest against the city’s plans to combat traffic congestion. Charming company, no?
These plans, they misleadingly claim, will see people confined to within 15 minutes of their homes by the New World Order, with some even drawing comparisons – shameful, unfounded comparisons – to the Warsaw Ghetto in which Jews were confined during World War 2.
After a brief explainer from Simon about what a 15-minute city actually is, and what it most certainly is not – he’s also penned an opinion piece relating how his experience of growing up in what was once billed ‘the Town of the Future ties in with the concept – award-winning transport author and journalist Carlton Reid joins George and Jack to explain just how this conspiracy theory blew up, the reality of the situation and how the hijacking of the issue by conspiracy theorists may influence active travel policy at local government level going forward.
Will decision makers cave in to the protests and threats, however unfounded they may be, or will the entry into the discussion on making our towns and cities better, more liveable places by purveyors of outlandish claims that ‘they’ want to control our lives result in greater support from the general public for 15-minute cities on the grounds that maybe they’re not such a bad thing if that is the type of opposition they attract?
The second segment of the episode, meanwhile, sees Ryan and Jack joined by Kate Ball from Wheels for Wellbeing, the charity that campaigns on behalf of disabled cyclists, who outlines some of the issues they are facing at the moment – including why the barriers people who use cycles as a mobility aid are not just physical ones.
The road.cc Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music, and if you have an Alexa you can just tell it to play the road.cc Podcast. It's also embedded further up the page, so you can just press play.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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The organisers are Elite Event Management, a for-profit company. Do you not know this or are you just ignoring it?
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Surely please get down on your knees, rappers rap about gats not cats and foil isn't made from oil and can hold your all told
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Cyclists have been riding in Bister for about 150 years, and now all of a sudden they are a great danger to pedestrians.
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I didn't remove the sound because I didn't think that it mattered - quite clearly the swearing was in reaction to an act of frankly horrid...
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32 comments
Roulereo: the utter failure of vaccines and inability to recognise this
How is misinformation from a blatant malevolent nutter allowed to persist on this site?
Which one?
Agreed- there are so many to choose from. I must have forgotten to 'reply' to this newer nutter, but post is now corrected
The answers from some readers who have replied to the original comment are thoughtful and informative, so we're not deleting the thread right now. I'm not remotely concerned that right-thinking people are likely to be misinformed about 15-minute cities by reading through these comments at the moment.
It was the intensely stupid and malevolent misinformation the utter failure of vaccines and inability to recognise this that I was complaining about, as was clear in my comment.
Understood and I agree with you on this point, apologies if that wasn't clear. We have taken some action but left the thread itself up as an example of how to counter misinformation, if that makes sense.
This ia an insane belief that handing over more and more freedoms, and willingly handing power to government and unelected bureaucrats, is a good idea.
The disastrous response to Covid, the utter failure of vaccines and inability to recognise this, means people are suspicious.
Slurs like Misinformation and conspiracy theories do you no favours, especially when you espouse your own, it merely panders to your echo chamber. Sneering jokes are an embarrassing way of admitting you can't provide that information, it shows you can't counter the questions.
The reason why people would be fearful and object, is because they can see no benefit, that the concept is borne out of a complete over reaction to climate change, or whatever you think it is for, and that it will do nothing anyway.
I don't understand what you think the question is on 15 miinute cities.
As for freedoms, what freedom do you think is being taken away?
If you want people to bother to respond to your concerns, what specifically are they?
Again my point is proven by being called a nutter here. You have failed in your 'argument' when you just blindly disparage the other side.
Road blocks are installed, without actually implementing all of the services claimed. Does every area have all the services they claim? Wat is the list of 'services' we are allowed to have in our area?
Not everyone rides a bike. Not everyone hates cars. No everyone is a Chardonnay Socialist. Not everyone wants to hand over their freedoms. Not everyone wants the older generations esentially trapped in their 'area'.
The NPC's get 2 permits per week per household to travel outside their designated area. You would have to apply (I assume) for special dispensation for carers, but who and what defines that? I travel to see my elderley parents twice weekly, so that means my wife and son can't drive their cars outside our 'area'?
The meainstream media is fully on board with the propaganda here, which is a massive red flag. They are pumping out "Conspiracy theories debunked" stories nineteen to the dozen. Why the sudden need to 'educate'?
Before the Covid grift dried up, these bureaucrats were keen on locking down people in fear of a virus that had a >99% survival rate, pushing a vaccine that isn't actually a vaccine (ie. it doesn't stop you getting it, hence it needs boosters to be 'effective', and neither does it stop you spreading said virus).
How is that misinformation, if that is true?
The mainstream media is happy pushing another government agenda for a return of those lovely advertising dollars and more clicks for controversy. Just like you have the Left being anti-war in Iraq but suddenly are war mongers in Ukraine, it doesn't make sense so should be questioned.
It's a well-worn trope in the age of the conspiracy theory to claim that all arguments are deserving of equal consideration and that the "other side" has lost if they don't perform some form of due diligence in rebutting them. However this is clearly nonsense: if someone claims that the moon is made of blue cheese they do not deserve a full scientific explanation of why they are wrong, they deserve to be derided, as do people claiming that FMCs mean you will only be allowed to leave your area twice a week.
Indeed. For the unsure guidance may reassure. Otherwise "What is claimed without evidence can be dismissed without evidence". And for the "see! They're trying to dismiss us!" the usual "They laughed at Galileo - but they also laughed at Coco the clown".
As MungeCrundle notes - caution about the motives and designs of our Lords and masters is wise. However too many unrelated dots are being joined here. And it's fair to ask those who are saying "No!" "what's *your* goal then?"
It *is* misinformation, because its not true.
As has been written elsewhere, the purpose of the fifteen minute city proposals is that you wouldn't have to travel more than fifteen minutes to get to the shops or amenities.
Nobody (except you?) is saying that you *cannot* travel more than fifteen minutes from home.
That's not how they work at all.
Here's details on the Oxford trial scheme: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/connecting-oxfordshire/traffic-filters
The filters are there to limit traffic into Oxford and are in just 6 locations and are time limited, mostly between 7am and 7pm, so driving cars is fine outside those hours. They don't trap people into areas, they're designed to move traffic to larger ring roads etc and reduce the amount of cars which will assist most journeys as that frees up the roads for vans, buses, taxis etc.
If you're outside of Oxfordshire, you can register yourself as an informal carer to your parents and specify which one of the filters to be exempt from, so you can drive to your parents with no restrictions as long as you don't go driving through the other filters. It would be you who decides if you're an informal carer.
As to your anti-war nonsense - there's a clear distinction between defending where you live and invading another country. I was most definitely against the bullshit war in Iraq (though it was the so-called "left" PM Tony Blair that lied to get us into it) and I am also very much against the war in Ukraine. Russia should immediately withdraw and thus end the war. The people of Ukraine meanwhile, have every right to defend where they live against the aggressive actions of Putin and I support assisting them in that defence.
Non player characters?
I wondered that.
In Oxford every part of the city will be accessible from any other part. You might have to drive a bit further.
But only with the permission of a dungeon master
You're talking about D&D, right?
Right?
Of course. (Mind you, after I posted that I suddenly saw how it could be read...).
@Roulero you replied to me. I didn't call you a nutter, so I don't understand the reference.
What is a NPC? There are no permits, or plans for permits, for movement in the UK. Your reference to two a week is misinformation you have picked up.
You can still drive to anywhere in the UK at anytime without hinderance, so if you are not fortunate to have everything you need within 15 minutes then there is no impediment. Wouldn't you want more local services? That is what 15 minute cities are about. More services you can access without needing to use a car.
I am not going to bother arguing with you on COVID. This is a 15 minute city thread and there is logical no cross over with COVID.
I am sceptical about many forms of media. Mainstream or otherwise, but you need to worry about where you are getting your information from as much as I need to.
"Slurs like Misinformation and conspiracy theories do you no favours, especially when you espouse your own......"
You? Who?
What specific freedom is it that 15 minutes neighbourhoods encroaches upon?
Freedom to pollute.
It doesn't even enroach on that. You can still drive to the shops/GP/post office if you want to. You just no longer *have* to.
That should be heading rather than body text.
How many insane things are you supposed to believe before breakfast?
You seem to be conflating quite a few well worn hobby horses; vaccines, climate change, general mistrust of government and are now mixing in a new concern about a fear of losing your rights to free movement by making a leap of logic that future urban planning policy which gives more consideration to the (not novel at all) idea of having; shops, schools, primary healthcare services, work opportunities and recreational facilities in proximity to where people live and which is not solely designed around the convenience of getting there by private motor car is somehow going to lead to Chinese style travel restrictions.
Personally, I thank you for your vigilance on government overreach, but just having spent a very enjoyable city break in the pedestrian friendly City of York, I'm an absolute supporter of the 15 minute city concept.
I call this photo: "LTNs will kill local businesses and destroy town centres"
I couldn't agree more. Very well put!
will be trying to counter the misinformation with my Spatial Design students this week and use this as an example of how groups delibertaly mis-inform to disrupt positive ideas, about how to fact check as well as cross check from several sources. I'm still regulalry surprised at how unable to undertake even simple research most of them are, relying on a single feed for their information, when there is so much variety online.
I'd like to listen to the podcast, but using the link above, it cuts out at 7:54.
Without being able to hear it, my opinion is that the establishment is stirring things up because this would challenge the dominance of the car.
Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.
Are you trying to suggest that a multi-billion pound industry has been working together for decades to hide/disrupt climate science and deliberately sabotaged climate conferences to ensure that active travel isn't given consideration?
Next, you'll be suggesting that they use their huge advertising budget to influence the publishing/entertainment industry to push their agenda.
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