Grand Canyon Times

Merissa Hamilton, chairwoman of Strong Communities Action AZ, took to the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) to express her views on "15-minute cities." In her post, Hamilton, an Arizona native, compared the idea to tax farming.

"With 15-min cities installed, you will no longer be a free-range human," she wrote. "You'll be confined to your tax farm."

The concept of 15-minute cities in Arizona has stirred controversy among various people, including lawmakers and residents. While there is support for the idea from certain officials in cities like Tucson and Phoenix, many others remain cautious. The core claim of 15-minute cities is their potential to benefit the climate by reducing the amount of time people spend driving in vehicles and focusing on carbon neutrality. The primary objective of a 15-minute city is to ensure that essential amenities and services are conveniently reachable within a 15-minute walking or bicycle ride from one's home, according to AZ Backroads.

Numerous cities have recently been taking steps to introduce public transportation initiatives. Just last week, officials in Maricopa County made headlines by passing Prop 400, a contentious bill that allocates $24 billion over a two-decade period, with nearly 40% of the funds designated for public transit. The passage of this bill has caused significant upset among several individuals, including Arizona Republican lawmakers Wendy Rogers, Justin Heap, Austin Smith and others. However, many Democratic lawmakers, like Mitzi Epstein, have celebrated the bill's approval, according to AZ Mirror.

"A '15-minute city' is a self-sustaining concentration camp," said Investigative Journalist Lara Logan on the X platform. "And the guards are Artificial Intelligence 'and you’ll never be happier.' Wake up. The World Economic Forum are Nazis without the uniform. Just listen to Klaus Schwab speak. What sounds more like a Nazi leader than that?"

The idea of 15-minute cities originated from University of Paris professor Carlos Moreno and gained significant traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during lockdowns. By July 2020, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) had released a strategy for the implementation of 15-minute cities, which garnered support from nearly 100 mayors representing over 100 cities worldwide, all united in their commitment to addressing climate change. Among these leaders was Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, the sole American representative on the committee, according to AZ Free News.