Designing cool spaces for a hotter Bristol
In Bristol, summers are getting hotter. Heatwaves are no longer rare events and they’re becoming more frequent, more intense, and more disruptive. In this blog, William Lewis and Sean Goodwin from the IMAGINE Adaptation project share learnings from their research into creating cool community spaces.
Last year was one of the warmest on record, and by 2080, the UK’s average summer temperatures could rise by as much as 6.7°C. The impacts of this are already visible across the city, from people feeling uncomfortable to increased pressure on health services and public transport networks.
But what does it actually look like to adapt to this warmer future? And how can we make sure that everyone, especially those most affected, can find respite and support during heatwaves?
A vision for cool spaces in Bristol
In April this year, IMAGINE Adaptation invited people in Bristol, including representatives from the Community Climate Action Project, to a creative community co-design workshop to explore some questions. Together, we asked: what makes a place feel cool, and welcoming in hot weather? What features matter most? And how do we design spaces that work for everyone?
This workshop is part of our work to support Bristol City Council’s upcoming cool spaces initiative, a project to develop a network of public places across the city where people can get support during periods of extreme heat. This project helps deliver part of goal 1 in the Keep Bristol Cool Framework. Cool spaces could include parks, community centres, libraries, or other indoor or outdoor areas. The council is collaborating with community partners to progress the initiative, and we’re working alongside the council over the next three years to understand what makes these spaces effective, and how they can meet the needs of all Bristol communities.
We started the workshop by asking participants to reflect on their experience during past heatwaves. Some changed their routines to avoid peak heat, while others struggled to find public places they felt comfortable in. These stories created a shared starting point and reminded us that, while heat affects everyone, it doesn’t affect everyone equally.
Next, in small groups, we invited participants to design their ideal cool space. Using collage, each group created a vision of what a cool space in Bristol could look like out of old magazines. Trees, water features, shaded seating, access to water, and clean, accessible toilets featured prominently. But beyond physical design, participants also identified important social aspects for a cool space such as being welcoming to all and free and easy to access.
How will we know if these spaces are working?
In the second half of the session, the groups explored a more difficult question: How will we know if these spaces are working? People suggested ways to assess the effectiveness of cool spaces, from counting how many people use them, to more qualitative indicators, such as how people behave in the space and whether they report feeling comfortable and safe.
Another important discussion focused on who might be excluded from these spaces. People experiencing homelessness, those with limited mobility, or individuals who don’t feel safe in public settings were all mentioned. This feedback will help to ensure that cool spaces don’t just look good on paper but also work for everyone in practice.
Help shape cool spaces in Bristol
A pilot of the cool spaces project will be launched in the coming months. But before that happens, we want to invite the Partnership’s network to contribute. To complement what we learned in the community workshop, please fill out our short survey. It only takes a few minutes and asks about what features matter most to you in a cool space. Your input will help inform how these spaces are planned, prioritised, and evaluated.
IMAGINE Adaptation is a project funded by the European Union (ERC, IMAGINE adaptation, 101039429) hosted by the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3). It is running from 2023 until 2027 and during this time IMAGINE Adaptation will continue working with Bristol City Council to support the monitoring and evaluation of the cool spaces network.
To learn more about the project and explore the work of partner cities, visit the website