This pattern means that the wind is carried up above the cities, leaving streets and gardens almost free from wind. The low buildings and slanted roofs allow the sun’s rays to penetrate between buildings, warming the masonry and cobbled pavements so that the microclimate in the small city spaces is considerably better than the climate in surrounding landscapes. In these cities it is as if the local climate has moved 1,000 km (600 miles) south, and vegetation therefore includes fig trees, grapevines and palm trees, which do not otherwise thrive this far north. The annual number of hours that can comfortably be spent outdoors is typically twice as great in these traditional built environments than in the region generally.20 As pointed out previously, lengthy outside stays mean lively cities. Optimal conditions for outdoor life have been created in old Scandinavian cities precisely because of the careful consideration given to local climate.