We’re building harder, hotter cities: it’s vital we protect and grow urban green spaces – new report

Rototuna North, a newer suburb in Hamilton, features very little green space. IMAGE: PCE, CC BY-SA

By Timothy Welch – The Conversation

Recent extreme weather events have provided a foretaste of how supercharged storms might threaten our future. So the release today of a new report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) is very good timing.

Titled “Are we building harder, hotter cities? The vital importance of urban green spaces”, the report examines the climate vulnerability of urban Aotearoa New Zealand, and the prospects for building resilience.