Climate change worsens heatwaves, impacting urban life and energy poverty; green spaces and better housing are key solutions.
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Climate change is severely impacting urban areas and family economies, with heat islands exacerbated by materials like asphalt and concrete making cooling difficult even at night. In Spain, extreme heat episodes have significantly increased in frequency and duration. Experts argue that current city designs are not human-centric, advocating for a shift from focusing solely on energy efficiency of cooling systems to reorienting urban planning towards integrating green spaces. While many European families lack comfortably cool homes, the reliance on air conditioning is rising, creating socioeconomic issues as low-income individuals struggle with high energy costs. Furthermore, housing regulations often fail to address summer comfort, particularly for tenants in older buildings, leading to energy poverty. Solutions being explored internationally include strict building standards (like in the Netherlands and France) or tenant-driven temperature agreements (like in Sweden). Ultimately, experts stress that protecting green spaces is vital for improving public health and quality of life, as heatwaves are causing significant mortality across Europe.
