Call for green haven cities

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) said the current focus on "green gadgets" such as energy-saving light bulbs and wind turbines on homes would not be enough to address global warming and the looming energy crisis.

Instead, fundamental changes to urban living are needed, including a total redesign of our streets to make them greener.

The commission is calling for many more trees to cool buildings and lower air conditioning use, tarmac to be replaced by permeable road surfaces to cut flooding and fountains in every neighbourhood to store water for plants.

Cabe also wants to see the "dignity" put back into public transport, a national programme to encourage homeowners to make their houses more energy efficient and more neighbourhood-scale energy generation.

Matt Bell, the commission's director of campaigns, said climate change could even become an opportunity to turn some of the UK's "gritty and grotty" towns and cities into beautiful places in which people wanted to live.

The commission made the call at the start of the UK's first climate change festival in Birmingham which will feature exhibitions, events, street theatre and art focused on climate change.

Birmingham City Council, which is hosting the nine-day event, is pledging to cut the city's emissions by 60% over the next 18 years - much faster cuts than are planned nationwide.

As part of the festival, Cabe has commissioned - the Government advisor's first such commission - a 29-metre pylon which is being installed in Birmingham's Victoria Square.

The sculpture aims to remind people of the usually unseen consequences of endless consumption, Cabe said.