Behavioural adaptation to heatwaves in a temperate city: Insights from Rotterdam

Abstract

Urban heatwaves pose significant challenges to public health and well-being. Quantitative approaches focusing on heat hazards dominate the literature, while qualitative studies, particularly in temperate climates, remain underrepresented. Drawing upon the case of Rotterdam, a highly socially and spatially diverse city with a temperate climate, this research investigates residents' everyday lived experiences during heat events and their underlying coping mechanisms. Employing a hybrid thematic analysis based on 21 semi-structured in-depth interviews, the research discusses residents' behavioural adaptation, encompassing personal, technological, and cultural adjustments, along with their associated spatial dependencies. Findings indicate that adaptation practices occur across various spatial scales, with personal and technological adjustments primarily reliant on the house unit, while cultural adjustments extend to neighbourhood scales and beyond. Notably, control over the household unit emerges as a significant factor in shaping spatial dependence, highlighting an often-overlooked aspect of inequality. The study offers a conceptual framework for exploring residents' behavioural adaptation to extreme heat, facilitating the formulation of equitable and tailored planning strategies for temperate climates. • In-depth exploration of behavioural adaptation (personal, technological, cultural) to heatwaves in a diverse urban context. • Heatwaves in temperate climate are perceived as a shock, even among residents accustomed to warmer conditions. • The built environment offers unequal opportunities for behavioural adaptation, raising justice concerns. • Adaptation acts as spatially dependent network shaped by individual agency, physical context, and control over living unit. • Introduces a conceptual framework to assess behavioural adaptation to heatwaves in cities with temperate climates.

Topics & Concepts