The population of Manchester City Centre will have risen from 11000 to over 100000 since 2010 by 2024. Massive profits are being made with little affordable rents or houses available. However it is a sign that the demand is there for flats near the city centre. A number of stores are pondering this trend with Waitrose looking to create flats above its stores. This makes total sense, proximity to work, shops and leisure, combine this with rental of electric vehicles for holidays in the UK and ensuring access to green spaces and we can provide some sustainable solutions to the housing shortage without plundering the countryside. Add in roof gardens and converting multistory car parks to urban farms with use of hydroponics and it may even reduce the “urban heat island” effect.
We have seen various councils cut down trees most notably Sheffield and Plymouth. City planners should be embracing climate change to provide better environments for people and wildlife, not denying it. China has reported record temperatures last month and warnings are out for world wide record temperatures in the next 5 years as being almost certain. And yet we allow more oil to be extracted, more trees to be cut down, 10000sq.km last year in Brazil alone.