Debating Distributional Justice and the 15-Minute City in Belfast: Assumptions, Opportunities and Limitations in a Contested Space

Abstract

This paper critically examines the applicability of the 15-minute city concept in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a city shaped by the enduring spatial and social legacies of sectarian conflict. The study explores how assumptions underlying the 15-minute city—particularly the expectation that people will use the shortest and most accessible routes to essential services—may be challenged in contested urban environments. Using OpenStreetMap data, points of interest representing nine categories of essential services, and Datazone-level spatial units, the authors calculate accessibility scores based on the availability of key services within a 7.5-minute walking distance. The results indicate that central areas of Belfast exhibit the highest levels of accessibility, while suburban and peripheral areas show substantially lower access to services. However, the analysis also demonstrates that conventional accessibility measures fail to account for the effects of physical and psychological barriers created by segregation. Peace walls, gated interfaces, cul-de-sacs, territorial boundaries, and community perceptions of safety continue to influence movement patterns and reduce effective permeability across the city. The paper argues that achieving distributional justice through the 15-minute city model in Belfast requires recognising the lived realities of contested space, where formal accessibility does not necessarily translate into practical or perceived access. The study concludes that both physical and socio-psychological dimensions of segregation must be incorporated into future accessibility assessments and planning strategies.