I went to Bermuda a couple of weeks ago, and even though it was hot, it didn't feel as bad, because many of the buildings at sidewalk level built structures to provide shade to pedestrians. As I walk around downtown, I notice total inconsistency, sometimes it's there and sometimes it's not. With the implementation of A/C this kind of design was disregarded but I think it's a small thing that could make a huge difference and possibly add pedestrian life to a downtown that is severely lacking one.
Plenty of pedestrians walking around downtown. They like to ask you for money while you are heading to the bus stop after work.
Knock all the buildings down and rebuild to provide maximum shade. [Northside]Plus, it will increase aggregate demand so it would be good for the economy.[/Northside]
They could just add the patio/roof like structures at sidewalk level. No need to tear down buildings. Here's an example
A few years back I visited Denver for the first time. It was late July. The temperature reached 91 degrees Fahrenheit. I swear, you'd think everyone was dying. People handing out free water. DJs howling about the heat. While I walked around downtown not noticing it---and even as a Houstonian, I'm not someone who can abide the triple-digit heat, you know? I don't see the city of Houston taking any of the steps you mention. Not for awhile, anyway. They'd at best do some sort of study and release a report with the title "Cost Inefficiency" or some such.
I remember thinking that as a kid when I explored downtown. The old (pre-AC) buildings would have porticos and whatnot to shade the sidewalk and the newer ones wouldn't have anything. It seems like such an easy thing, but there must have been something to compel the change. They probably didn't want to waste the footprint it'd take. But, it's too bad.
This is a combination of change in architectural styles and also cost. Modernist buildings did away with things like porticos and awnings in favor of simpler facades. This also fit with cost conscious developers since awnings and porticos cost more money to build. In the past thirty years Post Modernism has brought back many of those features for retail and mixed use buildings but your typical office building is pretty much based on a Modernist glass, steel, concrete box.
