Harnessing the wind to keep us cool

Many cities are becoming unpleasant to live in: they are getting hotter due to climate change and all the heat absorbed by the streets and buildings. But Stuttgart in Germany has been tackling this by carefully studying local wind patterns. Using the natural airflow they are cooling the city by creating corridors of wind from the surrounding hills. It’s an idea which is being copied by cities around the world such as Singapore. There we see how new buildings are being designed to allow a breeze to flow despite the continued development.

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Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/reporter: Richard Kenny
Singapore reporter: Tessa Wong
With thanks to: Indrawan Prabaharyaka
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Richard Hassell of WOHA architects in the Punggol Digital district of Singapore, BBC)