Pymtheg munud

Pymtheg munud ~ Fifteen minutes

"In the future, everyone will walk to the shops in 15 minutes."
― Handy Walkhol

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Mae diddordeb gyda fi yn y syniad o 'Dinas Pymtheg Munud'.  Gallai fod ugain munud, neu dre, wrth gwrs. Y syniad yw y gallech chi ddod o hyd i bopeth sydd ei angen arnoch o fewn pymtheg munud i'ch cartref heb ddefnyddio car i gyrraedd yno. Mewn un ffordd dydy'r syniad ddim byd newydd. Pan roeddwn i'n ifanc roedden ni arfer cerdded i'r siopau, ysgol ayyb. Ond nawr mae'n swnio ‘chwyldroadol’.

Felly penderfynais i ffeindio allan pa mor bell y gallwn i'w gyrraedd trwy gerdded am bymtheg munud. Heddiw cerddais i mewn cyfeiriad dwyreiniol yn gyffredinol i fyny i'r Gyfnewidfa Gabalfa. Eto, pan roeddwn i'n ifanc doedd dim Cyfnewidfa yma ac roedd e'n bosibl cerdded yma'n hawdd. Nawr mae trosffordd gyda ni ac mae'r ardal wedi ei dorrii mewn hunllef dystopaidd. Boed hynny fel y byddo roeddwn i'n gallu cyrraedd ‘VM Stores’ (bwydydd Indiaid a Sri Lanka) yr ochr arall o'r Gyfnewidfa.

Cerddais ymhellach nag yr oeddwn i wedi ei ddisgwyl yn yr amser. Roeddwn i'n hapus i ffeindio roedd ‘VM Stores’ ‘mewn amrediad’ oherwydd bod yn siop ddiddorol (a dydw i ddim yn meddwl y bydd un arall tebyg o fewn pymtheg munud).

Roedd e'n arbrawf diddorol. Rydw i'n gallu gweld rhai o bethau ar unwaith. Mae gwahaniaeth rhwng gallu i gerdded rhywle mewn pymtheg munud a'i chael yn brofiad dymunol. Cyfnewidfa Gabalfa yn brysur a swnllyd iawn a rhaid i chi ddefnyddio isffyrdd brwnt i gyrraedd yno. Rydw i'n disgwyl bydd teithiau yn teimlo byrrach os yw'r amgylchedd yn fwy heddychlon.

Serch hynny, baswn i'n galw'r arbrofi llwyddiannus ac rydw i'n edrych ymlaen at geisio eto mewn cyfeiriad gwahanol ac yn raddol adeiladu map pymtheg munud.

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I am interested in the idea of a 'Fifteen Minute City'. It could be twenty minutes, or a town, of course. The idea is that you could find everything you need within fifteen minutes of your home without using a car to get there. In a way the idea is nothing new. When I was young we used to walk to the shops, school etc. But now it sounds 'revolutionary'.

So I decided to find out how far I could get by walking for fifteen minutes. Today I walked in a generally easterly direction up to the Gabalfa Interchnge. Again, when I was young there was no Interchange here and it was possible to walk here easily. Now we have a flyover and the area has been cut into a dystopian nightmare. Be that as it may I was able to get to 'VM Stores' (Indian and Sri Lankan foods) on the other side of the Interchange.

I walked further than I had expected in the time. I was happy to find 'VM Stores' was 'in range' as it was an interesting store (and I don't think there will be another one like it within fifteen minutes).

It was an interesting experiment. I can see some things right away. There is a difference between being able to walk somewhere in fifteen minutes and having it be a pleasant experience. Gabalfa Interchange very busy and noisy and you have to use dirty subways to get there. I expect trips will feel shorter if the environment is more peaceful.

Regardless, I'd call the experiment a success and I'm looking forward to trying again in a different direction and gradually building a fifteen minute map.

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Disgrifiad (Cymraeg): Ffotosffer o siopau ger Cyfnewidfa Gabalfa
Description (English): Photosphere of shops near Gabalfa Interchange