By Anne Levin

Since holding its first “Sustainable Minds” presentation virtually two years ago, the nonprofit Sustainable Princeton has presented experts on such topics as stormwater management, community solar, and zero-energy buildings. Next in the series, on Wednesday, September 11 at 7 p.m., is “15-Minute Neighborhoods,” which the public can attend live in Princeton Public Library’s Community Room, or online.

Planner Jon A. Carnegie and policy analyst Alex Ambrose will discuss how living within 15 minutes of social services, parks, gathering places, and various amenities creates a more sustainable, resilient, healthy, and equitable neighborhood — the way many towns used to be. Carnegie, the executive director of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, recently lead a two-year study of the concept. Ambrose is a transportation and climate policy analyst.

“For this round of events, we were really interested in having topics that are related to Princeton’s Climate Action Plan,” said Sustainable Princeton Executive Director Christine Symington. “We have a vision for the community that is relevant to many of the actions in this study.”

Symington and her colleagues were familiar with the concept, though it has gone by various names. “We refer to it in the Climate Action Plan as transit-oriented and location-efficient, which is a long way of saying that you should be able to meet most of your daily needs within 15 minutes of walking or transportation,” she said.

Carnegie’s report, “15-Minute Neighborhoods: A Pathway to Creating Healthier, More Just, Resilient, & Sustainable Communities in New Jersey,” describes case studies that were done in Newark, Cherry Hill, and Bridgeton. “In each location, the teams worked with local leaders to identify ways to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make it easier to travel, improve health, increase transportation system efficiency, improve the resilience of communities and infrastructure, and ensure equitable mobility and access for residents,” reads the report.

The concept gained visibility during the pandemic. “Fifteen-minute neighborhoods provide residents with easy access to parks, schools, gathering places, social services, places to buy healthy fresh food, and other amenities within a comfortable walk or bike ride,” the report says. “Thriving 15-minute neighborhoods rely on not just desired destinations within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, but also a safe, convenient, and climate-resilient network of walkways, bicycle facilities, and the other amenities such as traffic-calming, green infrastructure, lighting, and street furniture necessary to encourage people to drive less.”

Sustainable Minds presentations have been popular with residents of the community. Sessions on stormwater management and green building techniques have been especially well attended, attracting up to 100 attendees. The series is co-sponsored by Princeton Public Library.

“The topics are often related to the Climate Action Plan, and people are very interested in that,” said Symington. “The presentation will examine opportunities that could make Princeton a 15-minute neighborhood.”

Registration is necessary. Visit princetonlibrary.org.