Haunted neighbourhoods, mnemohistory and the 15-minute city

Peng, Lance ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1825-6146 (2026) Haunted neighbourhoods, mnemohistory and the 15-minute city. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, n/a. pp. 1-4. ISSN 1754-9183

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Abstract / Summary

This viewpoint piece explores the 15-minute city through the twin lenses of hauntology and mnemohistory, arguing that proximity planning and accessibility cannot be understood without attending to the spectral traces of urban history. While the 15-minute city framework (Moreno) emphasises human-scale living, walkability and equitable access to services, it risks abstraction if historical inequalities, infrastructural legacies and social memories are overlooked. Drawing on Derrida’s hauntology and Fisher’s cultural elaboration, the article centres how urban ghosts (past planning failures, exclusionary policies, unfulfilled futures...) haunt contemporary attempts to create inclusive, sustainable neighbourhoods. Complementarily, mnemohistorical approaches (Hirsch; Boym) reveal how collective memory, postmemory and intergenerational narratives shape residents’ experience of proximity, wellbeing and social cohesion. This short piece considers implications for governance, pedagogy and participatory planning and advocates for methodologies that map physical accessibility and also social and historical absences. By integrating spectral and mnemonic perspectives, this article offers a reflective lens on the 15-minute city and proposes that truly inclusive, resilient urban futures must engage with both the visible and the haunted dimensions of urban life.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1080/17549175.2026.2665169
ISSN:	1754-9183
Subjects:	Architecture History, Geography & Environment Health > Public Health
Department:	Academy of Innovation and Research
Related URLs:	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-n...
SWORD Depositor:	Mr Pub Router
Depositing User:	Mr Pub Router
Date Deposited:	29 Jun 2026 08:51
Last Modified:	29 Jun 2026 08:51
URI:	https://repository.falmouth.ac.uk/id/eprint/6475

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