This paper aims to provide a critical interpretation of Carlos Moreno’s The 15-Minute City, with particular attention to the concept’s potential for adaptation in Eastern Europe. The study examines, through the examples of Budapest, Bucharest, and Cluj-Napoca, the extent to which the model can be integrated within structural and cultural constraints. The author argues that the 15-minute city is not merely an urban planning tool, but also a vision of participatory urban democracy; if applied well, it offers both parks, time, community, and more livable everyday urban life.

Keywords: 15-minute city, time-conscious urban planning, chrono-urbanism, sustainable urban development, urban mobility, green infrastructure, Eastern European cities, socialist urban planning legacy, transport policy, gentrification