Changes: Extreme weather vs Places
Our Summer Perspectives this year are focused on the topic of change, and climate change must surely rank top of the list. Most now agree that this summer’s heatwaves – some parts of the UK experienced the driest July on record and August could well be set to follow suit – are a symptom of climate change.
Looking forward, I can see that we are going to have to think much more holistically about how individual buildings and public spaces relate not just to their immediate locations and people who use them, but to the broader urban environment of which they are part.
While global aspirations towards net zero carbon emissions are as laudable as they are necessary, it is clear they won’t be achieved overnight. In the meantime, I believe we need to face the uncomfortable reality that in the short to medium term the effects of climate change are likely to get worse before they get better.
I say this not because I want to spoil anyone’s summer (especially if you are lucky enough to be reading this beach- or poolside), and certainly not because I’m pessimistic about the future. Quite the reverse. But the sooner we accept that one of the clear effects of climate change will be increased extreme weather events (wherever we happen to be), the quicker we can start to formulate a plan that will help mitigate potential damage.
Until this year we perhaps still thought that extreme weather was, for most of us, at worst uncomfortable and irritating. The red weather warnings issued for the first time earlier this summer left us in no doubt that ‘danger to life’ was no longer an abstract slogan.
This wake-up call is particularly relevant for the property industry, because our town centres – and therefore significant numbers of people – are especially at risk during bouts of extreme weather. We are only beginning to think much more fundamentally about how, for example, densely located and populated buildings trap heat. To see how much heat is absorbed in an urban area near you, check out this BBC postcode heat map.
But it’s not just heat that’s a problem: high winds, flooding, snow and severe cold spells all present challenges for our built environment and the people it supports. Until now much of P-THREE’s work in town centres has been focused on uses. Looking forward, I can see that we are going to have to think much more holistically about how individual buildings and public spaces relate not just to their immediate locations and people who use them, but to the broader urban environment of which they are part.
Designing properties with climate events in mind is already happening for example, buildings on stilts allow land to be safely developed in areas at risk of flooding. We would do well to revisit the architectural basics that have been understood for centuries that help all kinds of buildings, from European cathedrals, through North African riads to Middle Eastern mosques, isolate their interiors from their exteriors.
Much more thought will need to be given to building materials, to create properties that maintain a constant temperature inside, while dealing with extremes on the outside. Public and green spaces, which P-THREE has long championed for their potentially positive effects on urban areas could be an important part of our armoury. Recent research suggests trees and vegetation can reduce surface and air temperatures by up to 25°C.
But I think the greatest challenge will be in bringing together key stakeholders. The majority of our town centres are in multiple ownership, so greater co-operation will be needed to consider and implement substantive solutions. The good news is that this process of dialogue is already taking place, as part of wider discussions, for example, to improve the viability of mixed use developments.
We are currently not used to having to consider extreme weather factors, but as with all kinds of change, the faster we can adapt – both mentally and physically – the better equipped our town centres will be to protect us from the worst the weather can throw at us. Stay tuned for our next Perspectives, which will look at how change is affecting our industry in a much broader context…
Article by Thomas Rose, Co-founder P-THREE
Photo credits: Unsplash
