From nightlife to life at night: Cities must stay open later to beat the rising heat
Summer in Europe is normally cause for celebration. Not this one, however, which will rank as one of the hottest on record. Wildfires have broken out everywhere from France to Greece, while intense drought has turned the grass in London's famous Hyde Park brown. This week, much of Europe is sweltering through yet another heat wave.
European cities are experiencing record heat waves, with temperatures regularly surpassing 35°C (95°F). This shift in climate patterns forces residents to adjust their daily routines. In our research, we analyzed spending data from three Australian cities during periods of extreme heat. We found that overall spending fell by 7% during heat waves, particularly between midday and early evening.
Consumers spent less during these times before stabilizing after sunset. Spending on department and variety stores dropped by 35% on hot days, despite being air-conditioned. Spending on eating out, entertainment, and shopping also decreased before recovering in the evening. Public libraries in Seoul, South Korea, now stay open until 10 p.m. to serve as climate shelters.
While there is evidence of a shift in daily activity to cooler nighttime hours, most cities are still organized around a daytime model. Authorities must plan ahead for a future where extreme temperatures make afternoons unpleasant or dangerous. Cities will need to modify both infrastructure and times to adapt to rising heat.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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