Opinion – Gridlock by Design?

On March 3^rd, during a Committee of the Whole meeting, staff and our council had a serious discussion about building a downtown parking garage that could be easily converted to social housing once people no longer need parking downtown.

Downtown businesses, struggling to survive because people can’t park to visit their stores, have asked the city to build another parking garage east of Brant.

Here’s a quote from a staff member: “We need to build in redundancy for a new structure. There’s also looking towards newer facilities, like in Calgary. They’re actually designed in a manner that, as the need for autos goes down, they can be converted into affordable housing.”

Do you think the need for autos will go down in the future?

Burlington adopted the Integrated Mobility Plan, the “we’ll all ride bikes” plan, in November of 2023. Has our city council and staff put on a path towards a 15-minute city?

What is a 15-minute city?

Burlington Green, an organization partially funded by our tax dollars, links to this video on its website.

The video paints an inspiring picture of a life where everything we need is accessible within a 15-minute walk.

Before going any further, some groups have strong, possibly radical, objections to the 15-minute city concept. The concept is wonderful: we can all walk to work, and everything we need will be close by. Apart from autoworkers, who might have some legitimate objections, the rest of us should be happy, right? I don’t think Burlington is going to lock us into our 15-minute communities, creating an open-air prison. This is not a WEF plot; in fact, the WEF is not behind the 15-minute city concept, and has this information on its website.

• The 15-minute city aims to reorganize urban space around work, home, community and amenities – the idea is that every need is fulfilled within a 15-minute walk or short bike ride.
• Various cities around the world have begun to embrace the 15-minute city approach.
• But urban life is about more than access to amenities and the 15-minute model risks excluding disadvantaged communities.
• Even if there’s a 15-minute baseline, great city centres with world-class experiences should remain accessible to all.

The 15-minute city meets human needs but leaves desires wanting | World Economic Forum

What are some aspects of Burlington’s 15-minute plan:

• Burlington’s Official Plan (2020/2021) defines a “Complete Community” in a way that mirrors the 15-minute city framework: “A complete community offers and supports opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to conveniently access the necessities for daily living, providing convenient access to an appropriate mix of jobs, shopping, personal services, housing, transportation options, and public service facilities such as recreation.”
• The Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP)specifically targets reducing car reliance (currently 71% of trips) by focusing on “active transportation” for short trips (under 5 km). The IMP specifically states no road widening for increased traffic volume. As density increases through high-rise condo buildings, traffic problems will continue to increase.
• The 2022-2026 Vision to Focus work plan emphasizes designing complete communities with affordable housing, parks, cultural amenities, and eco-friendly transportation, including investments in Burlington Transit and facilities near major transit stations. While not explicitly labelled as a 15-minute city push, it aligns closely with the concept through its sustainability and accessibility goals. Recent updates as of late 2025 show continued momentum, with budget allocations for growth and long-term planning, such as Horizon 2050, focused on sustainable urban transitions.
• Overall, these efforts position Burlington on a path toward a 15-minute city.

Is the 15-minute city plan workable?

If you have 10 minutes, this video discusses some of the issues with 15-minute cities.

Shopping

Halal store, no problem, love Denningers, they’ll be one close to your home, prefer Costco Swadesh, ditto. Sound realistic?

Activities

Taking your children to the Burlington Gymnastics Centre, swim lessons at Goldfish, and going to the BPAC, no problem, they’ll be close to your home. Sound Realistic?

Employment

PHD in Biomechanics, want to work in your field. Maybe Burlington is not for you.

Employers

Do you need to hire someone with a PHD in Biomechanics? Maybe Burlington is not for you.

Hospitals, Universities, Colleges

Ok, I think you get the point.

Will increasing density without improvements to the road network, including widening roads, effectively trap us in our communities, akin to open-air prisons, and what will this do to property values?

A key component of a 15-minute city is employment, and we’re seeing huge swaths of land zoned for employment being rezoned as residential. Is the city’s quest for more and more housing at odds with its complete community aspirations?

We are culturally diverse, we have diverse interests, and we are fortunate to live in a time where we can pursue rewarding careers and have interesting hobbies. Our lifestyle relies on a mix of transportation modes, from bicycles for short trips and when the weather allows, to the car, to be able to have a rewarding career.

Helsinki, Finland, a city our mayor visited in 2025, has an extensive highway/road network, combined with public transit and bike lanes.

Another question: Should transit networks be expanded based on demand? Roads are obviously in demand, yet the 2026 budget allocates millions of dollars to bike lanes.

Summary:

Burlington is a community where many residents commute for work, and many employers, including the city, hire people from outside the community. Is it realistic for our council and city staff to assume they can convert a suburban community to a 15-minute city?

Electric cars are on their way, dramatically reducing CO2 emissions, a big driver of the 15-minute city concept. Council needs to plan for a realistic future, not a 15-minute city. A realistic future is one with effective public transit, walkable city areas, and an efficient road network that allows people to live their best lives.

What do you think:  https://www.focusburlington.ca/traffic-survey/