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Paris' futuristic project to transform into a city that survives 50-degree temperatures

2026-08-12 23:41:01Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Trees lining the streets, benches with sunshades and white sidewalks - this is what the perfect city would look like in 2050. (Illustration)

How architects dream of the Paris of the future... in 50°C heat: Less asphalt, more trees, water and fresh spaces

Paris is no longer preparing for the current summer, but for the future one.

The French capital has launched one of the most ambitious climate adaptation projects in Europe, based on a scenario that until a few years ago seemed impossible: temperatures that could reach up to 50 degrees Celsius.

This is not a sure prediction, but a planning scenario based on studies by French scientific institutions, according to which such temperatures cannot be ruled out by the end of the century if global warming continues at current rates.

A city once known for its mild springs and relatively cool summers is now rethinking the entire way it was built.

Temperatures above 40 degrees have become increasingly common, while scientists warn that Paris's climate in the coming decades could resemble that of Andalusia.

Climate uncertainty took on a new dimension after the summer of 2003, when an extreme heat wave caused around 15,000 deaths in France, over a thousand of them in the Paris area alone.

Subsequently, other extreme episodes convinced authorities that high temperatures are no longer a temporary emergency, but a long-term urban problem.

Paris' strategy is based on a simple principle: not to cool the city with thousands of air conditioners, but to prevent it from overheating. The main objective is to reduce asphalt and concrete, materials that absorb heat during the day and release it at night.

One of the emblematic projects is the transformation of schoolyards, known as “Cours Oasis.” Former concrete-covered spaces are being turned into mini-urban parks with trees, gardens, shaded areas, water-absorbing surfaces, and play areas.

Studies have shown that these interventions significantly improve local temperatures and create more livable environments for children. But the plan is not limited to schools.

Paris has created a network of over 1,400 "islands of coolness," which include parks, gardens, libraries, museums, swimming pools and public buildings where citizens can take shelter during heat waves.

The city is planting thousands of new trees, transforming squares and streets into green areas, and gradually replacing impervious surfaces with materials that allow water to penetrate.

Public buildings are also changing, with green-painted roofs, reflective coverings, and vegetated facades to reduce temperatures without increasing energy use.

The Seine is also part of this strategy. After decades of water purification, the river is being restored as a public space where people can cool off on hot days, becoming part of a wider urban climate system.

However, the biggest challenge remains the suburbs of Paris, where millions of residents live in areas with few trees, lots of concrete and buildings built at a time when the main problem was retaining heat in winter, not protection from extreme heat.

Experts warn that even the most advanced measures cannot completely eliminate the risk. This year's extreme heat wave is showing that adaptation must be accelerated, but also that without these interventions the consequences could be even more severe.

The lesson of Paris is that the cities of the future will not be protected by a single giant project, but by thousands of small changes: one more tree, one unpaved road, a new park, a green roof or a water fountain.

Faced with a rapidly changing climate, Paris is trying to build a city not for the temperatures of the past, but for the new world to come.


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