How cities can adapt to the climate crisis
With heatwaves around the world likely to become more frequent, some sun-scorched regions are adapting their cities to cope.
On a trip to Dubai a few years ago, I was shown a new outdoor shopping street that had apparently been carefully tuned to the desert climate. It was presented as a novel concept for this indoor shopping mall-addicted nation, designed in the manner of a pedestrian precinct familiar to those in less arid climes. A breeze wafted along the pavement, and I wondered what clever environmental design allowed the street to feel so much cooler than the rest of the sweltering city.
“Outdoor air conditioning,” came the answer. Sure enough, between each shop unit, rows of jets were busy pumping processed
