Is proximity enough? Extending the X-minute city assessment through dual dimensions of proximity and availability of grocery stores

Abstract

The X-minute city has gained global prominence as a multi-dimensional framework for building accessible and sustainable neighborhoods. Current assessments, however, have largely focused on proximity to amenities while overlooking other critical dimensions, such as availability—defined as the match between supply and demand quantity. This study evaluates both proximity and availability of grocery stores across 20 Chinese cities, identifies the mismatch between the two dimensions, and examines how each relates to key urban features, namely population size and density. Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), Open-Source Routing Machine (OSRM), and Nearest-Neighbor 2SFCA (NN2SFCA) are utilized for an efficient, 100 m high-resolution multi-city assessment. Results reveal that most cities perform well in proximity, with average walking times to grocery stores under five minutes. In contrast, availability remains generatively low and unevenly distributed across both urban cores and peripheries. Notably, 42% of the population reside in areas with high proximity but low availability. We further find that population density is positively associated with proximity, whereas population density and population size both exert a negative association with availability. These findings extend the methodological and conceptual foundations of X-minute city assessment and provide evidence-based insights for comprehensive urban planning policies toward livable environments.