The city of proximity has gained traction as a powerful concept for neighborhood planning and design in response to the mobility restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic—most notably through the global enthusiasm for the 15-Minute City. However, deterministic strategies and objective measurements of physical proximity have left little room for understanding how people perceive proximity in cities, as well as their individual desires and needs. In this seminar, beyond outlining the conceptual framework, the perceptual dimensions of the concept will be explored by examining how these perceptions influence people’s actual behavior, moving beyond mere considerations of objective proximity.
Evidence from Two Urban Contexts
Lukar Thornton (Assistant Professor at the Marketing Research Group) and Hamed Abdi (MSCA Fellow at the Research Group for Urban Development) will present the results of their recent research.
Dr. Thornton will discuss how to develop and operationalize a practical definition of the 20-Minute Neighborhood and will examine whether such neighborhoods shape people’s interactions with food stores. His analysis draws on case studies from two Australian state capital cities: Melbourne (Victoria) and Adelaide (South Australia).
Dr. Abdi will discuss the emergence and characteristics of proximity-based urbanism and explain how public perceptions and individual preferences across the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region (Belgium) influence perceived proximity and, subsequently, travel behavior within a complex and interdependent relationship.
USI Lunch Seminar
Wednesday 1 April 2026, 12.30 - 2 p.m.
UAntwerpen Stadscampus, Room C.101
Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen