FAU researchers studied 96 transit stations each in Portland and Washington D.C. to better understand the “15-Minute City.” Using large-scale mobility data, they were able to evaluate how a variety of factors correlate with internal trip capture (the percentage of trips which begin and end in the same neighborhood).

“Across both regions, employment density consistently stands out as the strongest predictor of local travel. Neighborhoods with more jobs are far more likely to function as self-contained environments, where people live, work, shop and socialize without leaving the area,” says Louis Merlin. “If we want communities where people can truly live locally, we need to focus on where and how employment is concentrated.”

• Louis Merlin