S1E2 - The Heat of the Action: A Lesson on Political Engagement in Paris

About this episode

The episode explores how Paris has mobilized around urban heat resilience through political engagement and social architecture.

Urban heat is not just a weather phenomenon; it’s also something we can respond to socially. But the cities we live in are complex. Between government powers, private actors, and the public’s understanding of the issue, there are several moving parts to coordinate to achieve resilience. So how does a city get mobilized around the heat question? What do we need to organize political action? And crucially: how can Social Architecture help fulfill resilience goals? In the second episode of the Philanthropist’s Conversation: Social Architecture to Address Urban Heat, our host Paula takes us to Paris to answer these questions. Paris is a city that has been paving the way for heat resilience for over two decades. From its world-famous architecture to its history of political engagement, the French capital has taken adaptation seriously since 2003, after a devastating heat wave gave authorities a wake-up call. The city has since developed a web of incentives and services to respond to urban heat, and map out a more resilient future. Today, we dissect the city’s political wiring, with a deep dive into the Parisian Mayor’s Office. We discuss local partnerships between city government and…

People in this episode

Host: Paula

Guest: Alexandre Florentin

Topics covered

• urban heat
• political engagement
• social architecture
• resilience
• city mobilization

Keywords

• urban heat
• political action
• resilience
• Paris
• social architecture
• climate adaptation
• government partnerships

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Parisian Mayor’s Office

Places: Paris

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