24-hour parks and alcohol bans: what cities could learn from Paris's 'heatwave mode' | Helen Massy-Beresford

Following a devastating heatwave in 2003 that killed 15,000, France has adopted four alert levels to help people cope with extreme temperaturesHelen Massy-Beresford is a British journalist and editor who lives in ParisOver the weekend, as evening fell on the hilly (and, crucially, shady) Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, one of Paris's most popular green spaces, the joyfully chaotic Fete de la musique - a summer solstice celebration of music in all its forms - got under way, with competing DJs starting their sets in nearby cafes.It was stiflingly hot and picnickers were cooling down with water, juice or alcohol-free beer - or at least, they should have been. The Paris authorities banned the consumption of alcohol in public spaces (apart from cafe terraces) during the festival, just one of the measures they can put in place to keep citizens safe once the city reaches vigilance rouge canicule - red heatwave alert.Helen Massy-Beresford is a British journalist and editor who lives in Paris Continue reading...