Almost no one mentioned roller shutter. They need to be installed outside to actually work, but they are very good at reducing temperature inside (I had them installed on my southwest facing windows). Air conditioning is ok, but it’s also such a lazy solution and it seemingly prevents people from even trying to come up with different ideas.

Oh, I like these initiatives - when they were moving a puppet theatre in my city they recycled a lot of materials and made an exhibition about that process

No, please don’t construct the illusion of some “past golden age”. Leaders were not more competent in the past.