Heatwave planning: community involvement in co-producing resilience

Abstract

Drawing on a thematic analysis of relevant policy documents, an apparent disconnect is identified between two associated contemporary UK policy areas: planning for heatwaves and community resilience. Regional and national policy documents that plan for heatwaves in the UK tend to focus on institutional emergency responses and infrastructure development. In these documents, although communities are mentioned, they are understood as passive recipients of resilience that is provided by active institutions. Meanwhile, contemporary discussion about community resilience highlights the potential for involving communities in planning for and responding to emergencies (although the concept is also the subject of critique). To improve heatwave preparation, planning and response, more effort by central and local governments is required to articulate and realize greater participation by individuals, and voluntary and community sector groups.

Keywords:

• adaptation
• built environment
• climate change
• co-production
• heatwave
• public policy
• resilience
• resilient cities
• urban politics

Acknowledgements

This paper was presented at the Architecture and Resilience Research Conference at the University of Sheffield, UK, September 2015. The authors are grateful for the helpful comments received from the editor of this journal, the conference organizers, the attendees, the guest editors of this special issue and all reviewers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 NCVO (see https://knowhownonprofit.org/basics/what-is-non-profit).

2 RAND (see http://www.rand.org/multi/resilience-in-action.html).

3 See http://www.kentcan.org/our-activities/providing-sector-perspective/ (accessed on 11 May 2016).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation through the ‘Urban Heat’ project grant [grant number 1309003D].