20 Minute Neighbourhoods
A 20 minute neighbourhood is an attractive, safe, walkable place where people of all ages and abilities can access the vast majority of the facilities and services they need daily within a walk of around 20 minutes.
20 minute neighbourhoods can help to reduce car use, encourage physical activity and help to support local businesses. However, they are not simply about accessing shops and public services.
They are places that help to build a sense of community and social capital and create a positive identity for a place and the people who live there.
Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods
Following consultation on draft guidance in summer 2023, the Scottish Government has published guidance on Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods on 25 April 2024. The finalised version takes account of the consultation themes and the independent analysis of responses and is intended to assist planning authorities, communities, businesses and others with key roles in delivering local living.
The guidance presents a Local Living Framework which together with a list of key considerations will support the implementation of local living, ensuring that daily needs can be met appropriately in a place. It is designed to complement tools and resources already available for placemaking and design, including the Place Standard Tool and the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes.
The guidance also introduces a structured approach to the delivery of local living in a Scottish context, recognising the incremental nature of delivery, the need for a clear understanding of context and the role of the Place Principle to help deliver places that support a good quality of life and balance our environmental impact.
A range of case studies are also presented within the guidance illustrating the implementation of local living across a variety of scales, contexts and geographic locations.
