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Welcome to the Climate Ready Places resource

Over the last 50 years Scotland has seen a significant change in climate – to warmer and wetter weather with more extreme weather events. This trend is set to continue. The aim of this website is to get people thinking about Scotland becoming climate ready. What would we do? What would it look like?

 

The ideas are generated from people working on adaptation across Scotland and in many different sectors. We asked them to imagine ‘Scottish’ places adapting to climate change and what they would look like. We created six typical Scottish places – Uplands, Lowlands, Coast, Infrastructure, Suburbs and City, and show possible adaptation.

 

Please remember that this is a collection of ideas – it is not prescriptive, it is not a plan. There will be many more ways to get your place climate ready. Hopefully you will have ideas of your own!

  • Unadapted
  • Adapting
Graphics illustration of an unadapted urban landscapeGraphics illustration of an adapting urban landscape

Suburbs

  • Permeable neighbourhoods

    Hard-standing driveways and building extensions increase surface water runoff and cause localised flooding. Creating permeable surfaces and greenspace around homes prevents flooding and overloading of drainage systems during heavy rainfall events.
  • All-weather sports

    Sport fields will need to be carefully managed to deal
    with more frequent periods of prolonged rainfall or
    drought that can close grass pitches. In some cases only all-weather sports pitches can ensure year round access. The all-weather pitches must be designed and located so that they don’t add to surface water management problems. They must also be usable in warmer conditions, for example by providing shade.
  • Retrofitted school

    Measures to increase climate resilience can be
    introduced as the school building is redeveloped over
    time. Better ventilation and maintenance of the building increases resilience to wind driven rain, damp conditions and overheating. A green roof improves insulation, prevents overheating and reduces runoff.
  • Quality greenspace

    Greenspace is re-designed to connect people and places, encouraging walking, cycling and enjoyment of the natural environment. Improving greenspace can
    contribute to surface water management in the area and help nature adapt by including a range of plant species.
  • Retrofitted apartments

    Retrofit of water butts, downpipe disconnections,
    raingardens, planters and permeable surfaces can be
    effective for surface water management. External fitting of green-walls and roofs improve insulation, reduce runoff and provide cooling. Buildings will also need to be well ventilated to cope with overheating and damp.
  • Open watercourses

    Removing culverts and re-introducing open water
    channels slows the flow of rain water in to drains and
    rivers, helping to reduce the risk of flooding. This also
    improves water quality, provides space for vegetation and more public greenspace.
  • Safe homes

    Investing in flood prevention schemes can reduce local
    flood risk while improving greenspace and local
    amenities. This can ensure people stay in the area, are
    able to access affordable insurance, and encourage better maintenance of homes and the neighbourhood.
  • Re-naturalising watercourse

    The canalised watercourse can be restored to more
    natural meanders and banks. Giving space to the
    watercourse and allowing temporary flooding of
    greenspace reduces flood risk to surrounding areas. It
    also improves habitats and allows access for recreation
    and active travel.
  • Community hub

    A community hub provides access to local services and
    workspace bringing people together to develop local
    projects and social enterprises. This helps community
    coordination and people will be less reliant on travel to access services.
  • Protect critical services

    Emergency services and their critical assets, like fire
    stations, need to operate during severe weather events. The sites and access routes need a high degree of flood protection to ensure it remains operational in
    emergencies.
  • Permeable surfaces

    Replacing hard-standing carparks and driveways with
    permeable surfaces and making room for more
    greenspace, including street trees, can improve drainage, reduce local overheating, and improve air quality.
  • Climate ready homes

    Homes will need to cope with rising temperatures, heavy rainfall and damp. To be low carbon and climate resilient, design will need to consider ventilation, solar gain and shading. They can be surrounded by permeable surfaces and green infrastructure for surface water management and to reduce local overheating.
  • Climate classroom

    Schools can demonstrate best practice in the community. Replacing grey-space impermeable surfaces with an outdoor classroom that integrates green infrastructure, food growing, and natural habitat can increase the climate resilience of the school and raise awareness in the community.
  • Community growing

    Community growing initiatives can increase greenspace, often in underused locations. As well as growing local seasonal food, they can enhance biodiversity, provide a focus for local projects, and improve community cohesion.
  • Remove culvert

    Removing the culvert under the bridge will improve the flow of water, contribute to reducing flood risk, and stop litter and debris from being trapped. It will increase the visual appeal of the river and improve the river environment.

More Climate-Ready Places resources

  • Downloadable resources showing unadapted and adapting landscapes.
    Resources to help students think about their place and different environments and how a changing climate might impact these.