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Blog archive

May 2025

April 2025

March 2025

About Senior Solutions
03/28/2025

Building a Bridge With Journey House, A Home Base for Former Foster Youth
03/28/2025

Come for the Knitting, Stay for the Conversation... and the Cookies
03/28/2025

Creating Safe and Smart Spaces with Home Technology
03/28/2025

Finding Joy in My Role on The Pasadena Village Board
03/28/2025

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
03/28/2025

Managing Anxiety
03/28/2025

Message from Our President: Keeping Pasadena Village Strong Together
03/28/2025

My Favorite Easter Gift
03/28/2025

The Hidden History of Black Women in WWII
03/28/2025

Urinary Tract Infection – Watch Out!
03/28/2025

Volunteer Coordinator and Blade-Runner
03/28/2025

Continuing Commitment to Combating Racism
03/26/2025

Goodbye and Keep Cold by Robert Frost
03/13/2025

What The Living Do by Marie Howe
03/13/2025

Racism is Not Genetic
03/11/2025

Bill Gould, The First
03/07/2025

THIS IS A CHAPTER, NOT MY WHOLE STORY
03/07/2025

Dramatic Flair: Villagers Share their Digital Art
03/03/2025

Empowering Senior LGBTQ+ Caregivers
03/03/2025

A Life Never Anticipated
03/02/2025

Eaton Fire Changes Life
03/02/2025

February 2025

Commemorating Black History Month 2025
02/28/2025

Transportation at the Pasadena Village
02/28/2025

A Look at Proposition 19
02/27/2025

Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Pasadena Village Board and Its Role
02/27/2025

Beyond and Within the Village: The Power of One
02/27/2025

Celebrating Black Voices
02/27/2025

Creatively Supporting Our Village Community
02/27/2025

Decluttering: More Than The Name Implies
02/27/2025

Hidden Gems of Forest Lawn Museum
02/27/2025

LA River Walk
02/27/2025

Message from the President
02/27/2025

Phoenix Rising
02/27/2025

1619 Conversations with West African Art
02/25/2025

The Party Line
02/24/2025

Bluebird by Charles Bukowski
02/17/2025

Dreams by Langston Hughes
02/17/2025

Haiku - Four by Fritzie
02/17/2025

Haikus - Nine by Virginia
02/17/2025

Wind and Fire
02/17/2025

Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025

Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025

Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025

Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025

Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025

Living the Mission
02/05/2025

Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025

Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025

Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025

Villager's Stories
02/05/2025

A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025

Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025

Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025

January 2025

My 15-Minute City

By Jim Hendrick
Posted: 05/02/2025
Tags: jim hendrick, newsletter may 2025

At 75, I’m one of the lucky ones. I can still drive pretty much anywhere I need to go. But that doesn’t mean I want to drive everywhere I have to go. Any time I can reduce the amount of driving in my life, I’m all for it.

A few years ago, I read about a movement gaining traction in the Netherlands — people were rethinking how they lived in cities, looking for ways to stay active and independent without depending so heavily on cars. That idea stuck with me. As we age, the stress of distance driving doesn’t get easier. Between errands, medical appointments, groceries, and trying to maintain a social life, driving long distances every day becomes more of a chore than a freedom.

So when I moved to Pasadena in 2022, I made a decision: I was going to implement my own version of the “15-minute city.” The concept is pretty simple — build your daily life around a tight, manageable radius where your essential needs are all within a 15-minute drive, walk, bike ride, or public transit ride. No hour-long commutes. No sitting in traffic for a bag of groceries. Just a more connected, more livable way to exist in the city.

Over that first year, I worked at shaping my 15-minute city. I took a look around and started mapping it out — where could I go easily, and what did I still need to reach? I found six good grocery stores within a two-mile radius. One major store is just three blocks from my apartment. My primary care doctor, specialists, and the medical facilities I rely on are all within a 15-minute drive — most of them closer. The Pasadena Village, where I stay connected with peers and community events, is a quick 9-minute drive. Washington Park, one of the city’s loveliest green spaces, is just four blocks away. I can get in a couple of miles walking the neighborhood and park then work out on Washington Park's brand new adult exercise equipment. 

Now, I’m not saying urban life is without its challenges. Pasadena is a busy, active city, and navigating it sometimes takes patience. But I’ve developed a system that works. A combination of walking, public transportation, ride-sharing, biking, and yes, still driving when needed — it’s all part of the balance. I don’t need to eliminate my car, but I no longer feel dependent on it. And that makes a difference.

I’m encouraged to see other cities exploring this idea. Paris, Ottawa, and even Los Angeles have made public commitments to creating 15-minute neighborhoods — not just as a nice idea, but as a necessary evolution in how we build and live in urban environments. In Ottawa, they’ve already approved a plan to shape future neighborhoods around the concept, preparing for population growth while aiming to improve everyday livability.

The beauty of the 15-minute city is that it’s rooted in common sense: keep essential services close to where people live. That includes everything from groceries and healthcare to education and green spaces. It promotes walking and biking. It builds community by encouraging social interaction. It reduces stress, saves time, and supports sustainability. What’s not to like?

There’s a certain freedom that comes with knowing you can live well without going far. For someone my age, that’s no small thing. It’s not about shrinking your world — it’s about enriching it by staying connected to the places and people that matter, right in your own neighborhood.

I’ve found a way to navigate the landscape of Pasadena that keeps me active, independent, and engaged — all within my 15-minute city. And I think that’s something worth sharing.

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