Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
How to cool down a city
Interesting article in the Guardian about how architecture, trees (er... are you listening McDonalds?), uncovering waterways and even the way you orient your housing (turns out the Victorians were onto this already) are all part of the solution to the problem of a urban heat islands and extreme heat.
Read the article here
Tags for Forum Posts: extreme heat, heat, heatwave, nature notes
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
-
Thanks for posting this Liz.
Oliver Wainwright is always interesting.
I'd point out though that there are some implications of his article that I see as highly critical of Haringey's continuing model of "regeneration". For example the label of one of the photos as a "Giant Offender glass lined high rises." Plainly Haringey's high rises aren't (yet) the heights of Chinese cities. But where there's a small forest of towers a significant contribution to the heat island can't be dismissed. Especially - as Oliver Wainwright points out - it may lead to adoption, by those who can afford it, of air conditioning which pumps out hot air to others' homes and streets nearby.
I have no idea if the current selection of Haringey planners and the so-called Regeneration staff are anything like up-to-speed on all these issues. I may be wrong but my hopes are not high. This deep pessimism is confirmed by an apparent longstanding willingness to tolerate high levels of air pollution.
Were we to take Oliver Wainwright's article as the basis for a policy, it seems that Haringey has been going in the wrong direction for many years. London Mayors and local Leaders mesmerised by international developers and their promises of endless income from highrise paradises. Of course with a water feature dribbling down the middle.
To be fair, who knew there would be a climate crisis? Must be a big surprise to those who thought asphalt and concrete towers built to the pavement edge, plus a few street trees , were the optimal model.
Oh yes. Let's not forget the Greenest Borough Strategy 2008 – 2018. Lovely artwork with blow--ups of leaves and raindrops and stuff like that. Lots of positive aspirations. But now there's a consultation underway on the next strategy.
https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/greenest_boro...
_________________________
Meanwhile . . .
Wiv a ladder an some glasses I would see to Ackney Marshes if it wasn't fer the Tower Blocks in between.
[Music] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XchS7hdddU
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
