The capital is seen more as a 30-minute city, according to Bucharest residents surveyed in the Friendly City Index, an initiative comparing modern cities in Central and Eastern Europe.

Bucharest, 28.08.2025 – Residents of 54 cities across nine Central and Eastern European countries were asked how long it usually takes them to reach most of their destinations. In 48 of these cities, people feel that the 15-minute city ideal is still far away, and that they actually live in 30-minute cities. Bucharest is among them.

According to the survey, 45.89% of Bucharest residents believe they live in a 30-minute city, while only 13.04% consider their city to be a 15-minute one.

Bucharest ranks among the top three major cities closest to the 15-minute city concept, after Warsaw and Prague, where 15.86% and 13.82% of residents respectively say they can reach points of interest within a quarter of an hour.

Among smaller Romanian cities, Brăila leads with 40% of residents reaching most destinations within 15 minutes, while the remaining 60% need up to 30 minutes. Galați and Craiova follow, where 32.35% and 31.25% of respondents respectively perceive their hometowns as 15-minute cities.

The data was collected as part of the Friendly City Index, an international rating database that compares modern cities in Central and Eastern Europe from a human-centered perspective.

To move towards the 15-minute city model—where residents can quickly access essential services and points of interest—urban planners need to follow eight key principles identified by a study from the Technical University of Munich: proximity to essential services, access to public transport, density of population and jobs, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, friendly public spaces, inclusivity, and the widespread presence of these features across the city.