What is 'chrono-urbanism'?

Urban horticulture: A community garden in the central square in Turin, Italy. Photo: AFP

Thinking about cities in terms of time, that's the principle behind chrono-urbanism. The philosophy that is at the root of the concept of the "15-minute city", it envisions multiple uses for one place in order to offer more flexibility, according to the time of day. And the stakes are even greater in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

What if we turned roads into parking lots at night? What if educational spaces became shelters at night? What if the rooftops of our buildings could also be used as gardens? What if restaurant terraces took shape on parking spaces? All these are examples that come from chrono-urbanism.