I Can’t Live in an American City Again
The walkability of a ‘15-minute’ European city is just too good
In January 2023, my wife and I made the full-time move to Spain on a Non-Lucrative Visa.
And it kicks absolute ass.
The local food is healthy and delicious, there’s a festival seemingly every other weekend, and the quality of life is unreal for what you pay.
But that’s not why we love living in Spain.
Don’t get me wrong, the 2€ bottles of wine, stunning art and architecture, and all-you-can-eat tapas in the plaza are amazing. But our favorite thing about Spain is a lot more boring — but important — than most people expect.
Because it turns out that the thing we love best about Europe is the city planning.
Yup. You read that right. The reason we moved to Spain was urban planning. We just didn’t know it until we got here.
Because it turns out that living within a 15-minute walk from everything you could possibly want or need is the secret to a more sustainable, affordable, healthier, happier, and stress-free life.
And now that we’ve experienced life in a “15-minute city” I don’t think that we’ll ever be able to go back.
European Cities are for Designed Walking
I’m not exaggerating when I say that walkability is the key to the European way of life.
In Europe, everything revolves around people — not cars — and that shift in priorities changes not just how people get around — including world-class train lines and public transit — but also what people do along the way.
In fact, I’d argue that walking to and from your house to your job, the local bar, or a movie theater is what makes a European city … well, European.
Cars are a necessary evil that European cities deal with, not something to be celebrated. And even that’s changing as more European cities reduce parking spots or outright ban cars from many central areas.
Because that’s the thing about walkability — it isn’t just about building a few trendy promenades — like the one in Santa Monica (which is lovely, btw). The entire city has to be walkable (or connected by good public transit), or else you’re just creating a parking nightmare.
And walkability isn't just for big cosmopolitan destinations like Paris and Rome. To show you what I mean, here’s a little sample of what our life is like in the very walkable city of Ourense, Spain (pop. 105,638).
Daily Life in a Walkable European City
We rent a nice modern duplex in Casco Viejo (“Old Town”) for 600€ a month.
Our unit is on the top floor, but it’s a small building so we almost always take the stairs. However, there’s an elevator if we ever need it.
Our building opens onto a small cobblestone-lined plaza with sculptures, benches, pigeons, and a cafe with umbrellas and outdoor seating. It’s great for people-watching from our balcony.
There is no street parking in Old Town, Ourense, so drivers use one of the many spacious underground parking lots. Delivery trucks are allowed of course, but they drive slowly, giving way to pedestrians (even slow ones).
This also means that there’s no basically no traffic or car noise near us since we don’t live on or near a street. And I can’t tell you how nice and quiet a city is when you take away cars.
The main social hub in town is Plaza Mayor, located just a five-minute stroll from our place. In Ourense, there’s always something happening in “the Plaza”, whether it’s a concert, (another) festival, parade, demonstration, or just sipping vermouth at one of the bars or cafes that line the square.
And since no one has to drive or park to get there, it’s easy to organize an impromptu happy hour or tapas crawl with the few friends who have ended up in this part of town.
We get most of our groceries at the local bio (organic produce store) just a block or two from Plaza Mayor. And we get the rest at the abastos (aka “farmers market”) located across the road from the main square. The vendors there have super fresh local produce, cheeses, bread, pastries, flowers, meats, and fish and seafood for great prices six days a week.
And of course, we can always pop to the big-name grocery store that’s two minutes from our place or if we need anything last-minute while we’re cooking.
The broad promenade — and main shopping street — is two minutes past the Plaza, and it’s usually bustling in the evening with locals browsing the brand-name retailers and local stores. You can find everything from sporting goods and prescriptions to books, blankets, dishes, photocopies, or costumes at any of the shops in the galleries branching off the main avenue. And if you need a doctor, lawyer, accountant, or realtor, they’re right next to one of the numerous gyms, including the rock climbing gym I go to.
Another five minutes or ten minutes walk brings you to the Miño river, and the edge of the Centro district. From there, you can cross the old Roman Bridge to get to the train or bus station (Madrid is just 2.5 hours away by high-speed rail) or stroll along the riverwalk to one of a dozen free thermal hot pools on the edge of town.
That’s right. The natural thermal hot springs in Ourense are free and they’re amazing.
I could go on, but hopefully, you see why I’m having such a hard time thinking about living in a city where I have to drive to get milk or meet a friend for coffee. It just seems like such a waste of time and energy.
And that’s kind of the whole point.
Life is Better in a ‘Human Scale’ City
I tell you about life in Ourense not to brag, but to illustrate that even a mid-sized town can be a paradise if you design it for people, not cars.
Everything I just mentioned above is well within the 20-minute radius pictured below:
And Ourense isn’t special. You can find this city planning in cities all over Spain and the rest of Europe. But it’s still sadly lacking in the U.S. — even in so-called “walkable” American cities.
Ourense is roughly the size of Boulder, Colorado. But when you compare their walkability scores you see a pretty big difference:
- Ourense — 100 “Walker’s Paradise”
- Boulder, Colorado: 63 “Somewhat walkable” (another site gave Boulder a 56 walkability score, ranking it the #2 most walkable city in Colorado)
And remember, I’m comparing Ourense to Boulder, Colorado — one of the most active and outdoorsy cities in America. Compared to a more typical car-centric American city of similar size — like Davie, Florida (pop. 104,882 with a walkability score of 27) — it’s not even close.
Why Walkability Matters So Much
Don’t get me wrong, Ourense isn’t perfect. The local economy was hit hard by the pandemic, and there are plenty of storefronts and buildings that are empty or derelict.
Thousands of people also live in the suburbs and nearby towns that sprawl out from the city. But if you want to live within a 15-minute walk from 99% of everything you could ask for, you can do it in Ourense for an affordable price.
Can You Really Live Without a Car?
Living in a walkable city has made me feel more connected to the community, even though I’ve only been here a few months.
When I step outside to run an errand or grab a drink with a friend, I pass schools, theaters, cafes, restaurants, and all kinds of shops from thrift stores to designer boutiques. I also recognize people on the street and nod to shop owners. I see kids going to school and old men meeting up to talk about the weather at the corner cafe.
I just took a break from writing this for an evening walk with my wife and we stumbled onto the Galician craft fair. It was awesome. She bought a custom-fit leather belt that she’s been needing for weeks.
Walking is an essential part of life here. And thanks to the way the city is laid out, it’s not a hassle. Like many Americans, I used to think my car was the ultimate convenience. But once you move to a place where you can walk to get things done you’ll see just how expensive, wasteful, and unnecessary driving your car every day really is.
At least, I have.
And if we stay in this city much longer, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back.
Curious about moving to Spain? Watch our full video about the NLV experience.
Shawn Forno is a travel writer with 15+ years of experience who wrote the book on California for Lonely Planet (Experience California Guide 2023). He’s managed content for creators like Matt D’Avella and travel brands like Tortuga Backpacks and Unbound Merino. Shoot him an email if you want to work together or check out the YouTube channel he runs with his wife.
