Against the backdrop of rapidly expanding metropolitan areas and growing pressures on mobility, resources, and access to services, the PROWD project proposes a critical adaptation of the “15-minute city” concept to low-density urban areas. Funded through the Driving Urban Transitions program (Horizon Europe), the project aims to identify appropriate responses for metropolitan peripheries, where traditional models are no longer applicable. PROWD starts from the observation that a significant portion of the population lives in dispersed, car-dependent areas where access to services cannot be improved solely through densification or major investments, proposing more flexible, context-adapted proximity alternatives.
The “15-Minute City” Concept and Its Limitations
The 15mC model promotes rapid access to essential functions by walking or cycling, being effective in dense cities characterized by functional mix and spatial proximity. In low-density areas, however, its application is limited by insufficient infrastructure, long distances, and car dependency, and conventional solutions are often costly and inefficient. PROWD proposes overcoming this limitation by extending the concept of proximity to social and functional dimensions, based on cooperation, resource sharing, and hybrid services, capable of generating functional everyday ecosystems even under conditions of low density.
Project Objective
PROWD aims to reconceptualize the 15mC model for low-density urban areas (LDUA) by identifying and testing unconventional solutions that reduce car dependency and improve access to services. The project addresses the forced mobility specific to suburbs and explores types of initiatives, functional networks, and institutional mechanisms capable of supporting new forms of proximity, including for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, or people with reduced mobility.
The project shifts the focus from strictly spatial proximity to an integrated, social, and functional one. Existing initiatives—shared services, on-demand transportation, activities in multifunctional spaces—are leveraged not as exceptions, but as a basis for replicable models. PROWD explores the strengthening of proximity through local networks, institutional cooperation, and the integration of the physical and digital dimensions.
Methodology and Implementation
PROWD uses a multi-scalar methodology, combining applied research, comparative analysis, and local experimentation. At the European level, it develops a critical framework based on literature and case studies, while at the local level it analyzes governance, accessibility, and socio-spatial dynamics. The project is implemented in four metropolitan contexts—Rome, Lisbon, Bucharest, and Vilnius—using participatory tools (interviews, surveys, workshops, co-design) to identify needs, mobility patterns, and transition potential.
Results and Deliverables
The project generates a critical framework regarding the applicability of the 15mC model in low-density areas, a mapping of relevant initiatives, and analyses of governance and accessibility. At the local level, it produces co-creation tools, consultation methodologies, and cooperation models, including collaboration agreements and concrete steps tailored to each context.
Activity 2025
In March 2025, the official launch of the PROWD project took place, marking the beginning of an international collaboration dedicated to transforming how urban proximity is understood, and in November 2025, the second project meeting was held, organized by ADIZMB in Bucharest.
Throughout the year, ADIZMB carried out analysis, coordination, and engagement activities with local stakeholders, contributing to the development and testing of the proposed solutions. Dialogue with local partners and community participation are central elements of this process.
ADIZMB Budget: 75,540 Euro, 100% grant funding;
Funding: Project funded through the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) program, co-funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe program;
Partners: Università degli Studi di Roma Tre (UNIROMA3) – lead partner, Metropolitan Research Institute (MRI), Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning – University of Lisbon (IGOT-UL), URBAN2020 Association, Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale (CM ROMA), Bucharest Metropolitan Area Inter-Municipal Development Association, Faculty of Geography – University of Bucharest, Vilnius City Administration, Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences