Europe is getting hotter. And air conditioners are not the answer

Attributed to climate change, these hot spells are likely to become more frequent and intense in the coming years. The effect of increasing urban heat is not only on citizens’ health but also constitutes a drain on the economy. According to the report Heat Ready London, the economic and social impact of the hot weather during the summer of 2022, when temperatures exceeded 40 °C, cost London around £1.5 billion due to disruption and reduced productivity.

Accepting that these conditions are a result of climate change and not just erratic occurrences must be followed by creating policies to deal with them in the long term. So while Paris has its own Plan Canicule, London has created its own Heat Action Plan 2026. In the Netherlands, sustained heat projections over many days in recent weeks resulted in the Orange Code plan.

What all these plans have in common is the aim of creating awareness among citizens that heat conditions are of such intensity that they not only create uncomfortable conditions but are actually health hazards, resulting in hundreds of premature deaths, particularly among the most vulnerable (the sick and the elderly) and the most disenfranchised (the poorly housed) parts of the population.

Instead of taking recourse to the large-scale use of air conditioners in individual homes, which will only increase heat in the cities’ public spaces by belching hot air into them, most cities are advocating strategies that will help limit climate change. In Paris, a unique district cooling system pumps cold water from the River Seine through 120 kilometres of underground pipes to cool major public spaces, hospitals, and museums.

Many cities are opening up “cool rooms,” which are temporarily repurposed, climate-controlled spaces in community centres, libraries, museums, town halls, and sports centres, where the most vulnerable citizens can freely seek comfort. Social and health service staff are actively checking on the most vulnerable individuals by visiting them at home.

In cities like Berlin, local authorities operate an interactive city map that directs residents to cooler places in the city, including shaded parks, drinking fountains, and misting points. In the Netherlands, which has a rich tradition of swimming, such “cool maps” direct citizens to safe swimming locations where a dip will cool them down.

Many cities are advocating behavioural change, such as adapting their daily timetables to adjust to these tropical conditions. Schools start earlier than normal and operate for fewer hours, avoiding peak heat periods. In Germany, some sections of the autobahn have had speed limits imposed to prevent asphalt from buckling under extreme heat.

In the long term, expanding the green canopy in cities by planting more trees, creating more water bodies, and reducing concrete and asphalt surfaces in public spaces in favour of water-permeable surfaces can lower ambient temperatures in cities’ public spaces. Barcelona mitigates the urban heat island effect by erecting shading sails and seasonal pergolas in areas where planting trees is not feasible.

Reducing the use of private cars in cities and consequently reducing the area covered by concrete and asphalt, while using these spaces for landscaping, can also help. In the city of Eindhoven, a couple of years ago, the whole inner ring road was redesigned and relayed to reduce car traffic, increase the green canopy and water-permeable green areas, and encourage cycling and walking. The ring road has turned into a kind of ring park.

Encouraging the transition from fossil-fuel-powered to electric vehicles through subsidies and regulations is another way of tackling the root cause of climate change. In the Netherlands, many cities have restricted access to electric vehicles only (not only cars but also trucks).

Cooling in buildings is achieved by passive means such as shading, cross-ventilation, and green roofs and walls. Regulatory measures in several European cities set legally binding carbon-emissions targets for new buildings, thereby reducing future urban heat. Finally, rainwater harvesting and using this water in different ways to reduce ambient temperatures in public spaces are also being promoted.

It is encouraging to see that most cities in Europe have not opted for the large-scale use of air-conditioning since this will only exacerbate the situation. Most cities are taking both short- and long-term measures in such a way that their actions will provide comfort to their citizens while reinforcing the effort to reduce climate change.

There is also a realization that high urban temperatures are also an equality issue. To quote from the Heat Ready London report, “Research shows that the hardest-hit Londoners are those living in poorly designed homes; those without access to green space; and those with greater health risks.” Addressing the urban heat issue is thus rightly seen as an issue of environmental injustice.

The writer is an urban designer, city planner and architect, and co-founder of the knowledge platform MyLiveableCity