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Global warming is an increasingly evident fact of life, no matter where we live. For architects, engineers, and urban planners, designing for a warming environment requires careful attention to local conditions and resources.

This state of affairs has led many governmental bodies to establish a shared definition of sustainable activities and outline a system of reporting in order to provide permission and funding for construction projects in both the public and private sectors. In the European Union, the goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 has led to the creation of a taxonomy for sustainable activities. This taxonomy outlines requirements that must be met in order for municipalities as well as private corporations to receive funding from the EU.

The EU taxonomy on sustainability provides a regulatory and reporting mechanism for architecture and urban projects that has caught up with climate science. The responsibility that those in the design and building professions must take up towards the environment now has real administrative weight. On the ground, this manifests in open calls for expertise in sustainable urbanism.

Holistic approach navigates existing urban conditions

In dense spaces, it is essential to consider the impact of the heat-island effect, especially on vulnerable populations such as the elderly, and to identify hot spots that require particular interventions. Creating a new neighbourhood or district plan allows designers to avoid introducing conditions that would lead to heat islands, but most projects today involve operating in an existing urban context. º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s expertise in urban planning, energy, and climate-sensitive strategies for construction and the design of urban space forms a holistic approach to designing for rising temperatures. This approach navigates existing conditions and embraces insights gained by the º£½ÇÊÓƵ team and – just as important – residents themselves.

The small town of Burscheid in the western part of Germany has a population of about 21,000 people, including a significant number of elderly residents. In warmer months, residents often suffer at urban hot spots. In mild cases, this causes discomfort and an unpleasant experience of urban public space. In severe cases, this leads to emergencies and can even place a strain on the public health infrastructure.

Multi-step strategy towards a heat resilient Burscheid

To increase Burscheid’s resilience to rising temperatures, º£½ÇÊÓƵ developed a comprehensive, multi-step strategy for climate adaptation. The first step was to conduct a scientific analysis of the town in order to identify urban heat islands. This was done by using Landsat satellite imagery of Burscheid and classifying the public spaces according to the Universal Thermal Climate Index, which describes the relationship between the human body and the heat in the environment. Next, the º£½ÇÊÓƵ team carried out extensive consultations with residents to understand the experience of living in Burscheid and moving through its spaces. These conversations were an important complement to the quantitative data gathered through scientific study and the thermal classification exercise. Residents are the true experts on their city, and their input is crucial. In parallel, meetings with city officials were carried out in order to ensure the solutions developed through the study could be implemented with the necessary administrative support. The result was a heat action plan for Burscheid.

Interactive residents participation with bespoke online tool

A central part of º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s plan for Burscheid is an that allows residents to identify hot spots themselves, to learn how to live with or without going to those places at times of extreme heat. An analysis of satellite imagery was used to highlight the hot spots on a map. Participants can then choose from a menu of solutions that could be introduced, including drinking fountains, misting systems, trees, shaded playgrounds, and public toilets, and place a marker on a map of the town where they think certain measures would be most effective. The plan forms the foundation of an inclusive decision-making process for the people of Burscheid, one that takes into account lived experience of the environment.

Concerted effort crucial for climate responsive design

The heat action plan for Burscheid exemplifies the work that is necessary to devise short-, medium-, and long-term strategies for designing in response to the climate, and in response to the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities. Across a range of projects, º£½ÇÊÓƵ develops solutions that encompass immediate, temporary solutions as well as fundamental, lasting changes to the urban fabric. For instance, the city of Neubrandenburg desired a climate-responsive solution for a main square where events are often held in summer. An underground car park meant that no trees could be planted on-site. º£½ÇÊÓƵ proposed a strategy consisting of mobile cooling elements that could be quickly put in place and then demounted when no longer in use. However, as part of this project, experts from the º£½ÇÊÓƵ team also devised a strategy for the transformation of central Neubrandenburg into a city that minimises car traffic, a proposal for a long-term intervention.

How to live with rising temperatures is an urgent question we all face today. As governments put in place measures to mandate responses to this question, it has become impossible to ignore the essential role that architects, engineers, and urban planners have to play in ensuring that the spaces we inhabit are resilient and responsive to our changing climate.