THE COOL IDEAS BOARD
This is a place for possibilities, not finished products. Use these prompts, challenge them, combine them or bring us something entirely different.
01 / STARTER SPARKS
They might begin as a complaint, a sketch, a memory, a borrowed trick or a stubborn question.
These are conversation starters, not funded or delivered HEATWAVE projects. Their job is to make the next idea easier to imagine.
What if shade could move to where people need it, when they need it?
Map the daily movement of people and sun, then rethink temporary shade around queues, markets and transport stops.
What if the coolest hours became the most valuable hours?
Explore different schedules, room use and break patterns before assuming the building itself must change.
Could one small roof change make the hottest room liveable again?
Compare shade, reflectivity, insulation and ventilation through a simple community roof diary.
What if a neighbourhood collected the tricks that already keep homes cool?
Gather local practices, sketches and stories into an open library of low-cost cooling know-how.
What if the shortest route is not always the safest route?
Combine shade, rest points, water and lived experience to map cooler walking routes.
Can rest, rotation and local warning signs become part of how work is designed?
Co-create a practical heat routine with the people who know the job, the site and the pressure points.
Which familiar places could become everyday refuges from heat?
Explore how libraries, faith spaces, shops and community buildings might offer rest, water and connection.
What did older buildings know that newer ones forgot?
Use local building memory as a starting point for shade, airflow, planting and shared outdoor life.
Got something cooler?