Join us for a late afternoon summer stroll through downtown Pensacola as we explore the old and new ways that cities can adapt to the higher temperatures and heavier rainfall of our changing climate. Along the way we’ll look at the many features of buildings, streets, and parks that can help keep cities and their inhabitants cooler and more comfortable while using less energy.

Your tour guide is Christian Wagley of the nonprofit group Healthy Gulf. Christian spends much of his time studying the traditional ways that communities were designed and built in harmony with local climate. We’ll walk where it’s hot and where it’s not, compare temperatures in different areas of the City, and see firsthand how the design of cities shapes our energy use and comfort.

Participants are encouraged to dress for the heat, with light colored clothing, natural fibers like linen, hats and parasols. In honor of one of the most traditional ways of cooling-off, we’ll even stop for a free cold beverage to chill us down. Forecasts from the National Climate Assessment predict hotter summers, more rainfall and stronger hurricanes in the southern U.S. Pensacola and other cities will need to adapt to the changing conditions in order to protect their economies, public health, and quality-of-life.