London’s risk from rising temperatures

I don't wish to be pessimistic but London developers have been allowed to ride roughshod all over the capital. In my area (Lewisham) there are new student/rental/blocks of flats popping up in every spare corner and I haven't seen a single solar panel, heat-pump, green wall, or new tree maintained post "green-wash" planting. The dust level has increased and in this borough, we are the not-so-proud owners of the first recorded air-pollution related death.  

After doing the survey connected to this discussion I found myself laughing at the suggested ways to reduce heat in our households. With most of us being renters, the possibility of adding outside or inside shutters is little to none. Painting the windows white would leave us in permanent gloom due to only having windows on one aspect and the joy of having a through-breeze by opening windows on the opposite side is a pipe-dream. 

I agree with bg that not relying on ac would be ideal but if you build houses or flats that just house people with no regard to how they keep heat in or out, you really need to worry more about how the energy is produced, to run ac units that are vital on days like today (33+ degrees). Nobody is listening to Climate Change predictions so we have to do our best to mitigate the consequences. Get the developers to build housing that is fit for use rather than these balcony-less nightmares where people have to use bacofoil seletaped to the inside of their windows. 

I hope that the Heat Risk plan properly acknowledges the role air con will need to play as Britain transitions to being a 'hot' country in summer. Yes, passive ventilation etc should be the first architectural response but people are beginning to vote with their feet and install portable units. 

As has been commented on recently, London is particularly resistant to approving air conditioning as part of developments. The role of AC in the urban heat island effect and the contribution of electricity use to climate change are reasonable logic behind this, but it is also clear at this point that temperatures are changing and we need to begin adapting. 

It would be far better to encourage air-source heat pumps which can provide a low carbon heating solution in winter. As part of these installations, installers could encouraged to provide solar panels alongside air con installation, which would have the happy effect of generating the most electricity on the days air con is most needed.  We have built a large number of blocks in the past decades (I am writing from one now) which are unbearably hot during heatwaves and it would be preferable to install a low-carbon AC solution to knocking down the building and starting again.

At the street level a lot more shade is needed. The recent proliferation of 'planters', 'parklets' etc has not fully achieved this as shade is often lacking and the structures feel temporary and unkempt.  More grass, shade and water is needed in urban spaces. More shaded bus stops, and AC as standard on public transport, will be essential. But do not adopt La Sombrita, please!

A few thoughts.

First, we need to ensure that all new developments have adequate green space and shaded pedestrian ways. Effective neighbourhood greenery reduces the heat island effect and improves air quality and mental health. The Olympic Park is a good example of what NOT to do—there are huge walkways through that 'park' that have no shade at all and are intolerable when the temperatures rise. Tree planting should be increased along residential streets, but this needs to be done properly, with ample space given to the roots to ensure the pavements remain accessible. An option is to carve out some parking bays for trees, so that roads retain the full pavement. 

Beyond building heat resilience into future constructions, we should work on ways to retrofit cooling measures on existing housing stock: reflective panels or coatings. Whatever works.

A huge burden for London during elevated temperatures is the transport network. We have an increasing number ofair-conditioned lines, which is good, but the current tube network is unsafe when external temperatures exceed 25 degrees or so. Additionally, while buses seem to have air conditioning, it's almost impossible to verify whether it is fit for purpose as everyone opens the windows when it gets hot. People in hot countries do not open the windows on air-conditioned buses, so either our buses need to be improved so that they offer the cooling they promise, or the public needs to be strongly educated on the correct approach to travel in hot temperatures (probably both).

In addition to several excellent suggestions below; I'd advocate for banning exterior advertising screens. Such as those found on bus shelters, in underground stations, etc...

They cost energy to run. They generate light and heat pollution. You just need to stand near one in the summer to feel the heat coming off it and hear the fans inside screaming to cool the device down, which only kicks out more heat.

Other than that, more trees; businesses running A/C must have their doors shut; supermarkets with chiller shelving should have doors on their chillers instead of being open faced; solar panel roofing over large unshaded areas like car parks; maybe a maximum legal working temperature!

We need to have a plan of action in order to help us cope with the heatwave in London. I went on a bus the other day and the humidity inside the buses was on average 50%-60% relative humidity. Could you make sure that the buses have adequate air conditioning on and that when the buses are crowded the air conditioning is able to cope? We also need indoor spaces that are well ventilated and have adequate air conditioning so that people can sit inside without feeling the need to buy an expensive drink. Also some people are unable to do their activities because their health conditions are aggravated by the heat. 

We desperately need more blue, green, and cool spaces, tree planting and shade initiatives. More SUDS, less concrete and a reduction in air pollution. I have lived in my South facing, central London housing association flat for 25 years; I don't think I can manage another summer. I use reflective bubble wrap on the outsides of my windows front and back and I still cannot stop the temperature rising to dangerous levels. The temperature at the end of one day in a heatwave is the starting temperature for the next day; it is impossible to reduce it and I cannot afford air conditioning. I expect the temp throughout my flat to be 29 degrees by tonight, it will take around 48 hrs to return to ~24 degrees. Mercifully it is the last day of the current heatwave otherwise I would be in a lot of trouble as I have chronic health conditions and I haven't slept for days. My housing association is doing nothing for residents vulnerable to extreme heat and neither is local government. People will die.

Staying inside in my home is like being in a dryish sauna at the moment. One of my problems is getting to and from work - I walk, but it's so hot I feel really ill by the time I arrive, even with a sunhat. I'm glad I don't have to take a bus or the tube, I gather they are awful at the moment.

I parked my car at a shopping mall car park recently, there was not a single tree or shade anywhere in sight, and when I got back to my car, it was boiling inside. It would be so useful if all open car parks were covered by solar panels. They would generate energy and also provide shade for the cars under them. There are so many things like this that could make a huge difference. Also, my high street hardly has any trees. It would make such a big difference if we had trees along the main street. They could provide shade for these super hot summer days and would also improve our air and how the street looks. 

Ultimately, climate change is here and we need to think about ways to mitigate its effects, whilst keeping our warming effects to as low as possible. 
People will scream that we need AC. We don’t. We need better designed buildings to cope with the heat. 
Insulated, well designed buildings will keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer. 
To mitigate the effects, we should adapt on days like today to close schools and businesses early. We should have cool rooms that the elderly and vulnerable can visit to cool down. We should have more water stations in central London, that serve chilled water. We should have portable misting stations that can be rolled out to high footfall traffic areas for those that wish to pass through them. 
Public spaces like libraries could be retrofitted with AC to help with groups that can use those facilities to cool down. 
Public transport will need to be adapted in the coming years to have more powerful AC, and this will require investment. 
We need to rewild our streets with better shade, trees that grow, with boulevards and less concrete! 
Finally, we should follow the French in ensuring that only shops that have automatic or closed doors can use air con. 

People may say: back in my day we would just get on with it when it was hot… but ultimately the world is hotter now, with higher humidity and less areas in London to cool down. Most of London has been paved over with skyscrapers that radiate heat and trap it at ground level. 
Heat is not a joke and should be treated seriously, but in a responsible and managed way - not an all out race to fit AC in as many places as possible. 

During the heatwave of 2022 I stayed inside (in the shade) as much as possible, drinking lots of cool drinks.  I have 2 fans at home, one in my living room and the other in my bedroom so whenever I'm in either room I turn the fans on.  This year I'm closing the blinds in my bedroom (I didn't have them last year) we've been hosing down the patio at the back to keep the house cool.  I'm in a wheelchair so find it VERY difficult to get in and out of my clothes so that's why I need to make the correct choice of clothes in the morning.  I've been able to do it quite well this year