Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
then “social values, customs, building materials, orientation, climate and site must
intertwine to produce a unique weave” (Pressman
1995
, p. 1).
It also may be worth suggesting that the partial success of the Winter City move-
ment in influencing public opinion as well as planning policy could be used as an
exemplar for improving urban life in other climatic regimes, such as those with
conditions of extreme heat in summer, and especially those that experience many
wet, cold and cloudy days. In the former case traditional building designs do exist
to modify the effects of heat and can be modified and extended. But few parallel
ideas for wet climates have yet to emerge, other than ensuring that roofs and roads
are able to carry off the burden of extra moisture and that buildings are made more
proof against rain and damp penetration. There is certainly a real opportunity for cit-
ies in wet climates to co-operate to find ways of mitigating this type of climatic ef-
fect, and like winter cities, improve the quality of life in such areas. Indeed some of
the Winter City ideas could be modified and used in wet, temperate environments.
However far more specific policies will be needed to counteract the often very wet,
grey and dismal days of winter in these environments, for they do not have the vi-
brancy of blue skies and the apparently cleansing aesthetics of snow found in winter
cities to counteract their often depressing conditions. In general, it must be admitted
that despite the advances made to date in the Winter Cities example, there is still a
long way to go before our settlements become more adapted to the specific climatic
problems of their environments. In this way they could create greater sustainability
and liveability, ensuring they are more adapted to their environments, rather than
being imposed upon them and suffering the consequences.
Acknowledgments
I appreciated permission from Dr Simard and the journal Cybergeo to repro-
duce the picture of part of Fermont, Quebec as Figure 8.1, and also information about policies in
Sweden from professor Olof W￤rneryd in Lund.
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