Integrating population preferences into the 15-minute city index: A study of spatial accessibility and equity in the historic city of Yazd

The 15-min city is a recently developed urban planning concept that promotes sustainable development by enhancing urban equity in access to essential services and supporting community physical and mental health by encouraging active mobility and outdoor activities. Aiming to explore spatial equity and accessibility, this study investigates the integration of population preferences into the 15-min city across the historic city of Yazd. The findings inform regeneration strategies of sustainable development tailored to population preferences and provide a pathway towards a healthy community. This study evaluates the accessibility index for essential urban opportunities, including healthcare, education, recreation, public services, and administrative/police centers, within a 15-min walking distance at the block level. The 15-min city indexes were subsequently calculated based on these opportunities, adjusting to reflect local preferences for each urban service. The findings reveal that the distribution of 15-min city indexes and their sub-indices in Yazd City is spatially clustered, primarily concentrated around the city center and limited access in the outskirts, highlighting inequalities within the urban fabric. Furthermore, density-related analyses indicate no correlation between neighborhood-level density and the 15-min city index, highlighting no proximity between amenities and population density. These results emphasize the need for targeted urban planning interventions to enhance accessibility in the outskirts to achieve a more equitable and healthy community. By focusing on localized needs and patterns, this study provides a framework for targeted urban planning interventions, contributing to the development of sustainable and inclusive neighborhoods in Yazd City and beyond. • Assessment of 15-min city principles to improve urban accessibility and spatial equity in the historical city of Yazd. • Development of a customized 15-min city index reflecting local preferences and priorities. • Identification of distinctive spatial patterns in Yazd City's 15-min city framework. • Implications of healthy community planning.