The Cool Cities initiative concluded an inspiring three-day event in Gothenburg, dedicated to addressing urban heat stress and building a connected cool network. Project partners from across North Europe gathered to share knowledge, explore innovative solutions, and strengthen the partnership to make cities more livable and resilient in the face of climate change.
Mapping the heat
The program began with an exploration of advanced mapping techniques to identify vulnerabilities and prioritize actions to combat urban heat stress. A key highlight was the presentation by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, which is developing an interactive website for the Cool Cities project. This platform will consolidate data from all partner cities to analyze the most heat-vulnerable areas. By combining diverse data sets, it becomes possible to identify the most critical locations for intervention and guide cities in effectively addressing urban heat stress.
Adapting by design: site visit to Maskinparken
The second day featured a vibrant conference attended by representatives from local governments, private sectors, Gothenburg’s regional climate adaptation network and stakeholders from Malmö. One of the sessions included discussions on a Digital Twin model, a tool for simulating and visualizing heat stress, and an evaluation of social indicators and vulnerability indices to better understand and respond to urban climate challenges. A highlight was the site visit to Maskinparken, a prime example of climate-adaptive urban design. The park showcases innovative water management systems that capture and handle rainwater, mitigating flood risks exacerbated by climate change. This hands-on experience underlined the importance of integrating smart design into urban planning.
From vision to action: charting the future together
On the final day, participants gathered at Gothenburg City Hall to focus on actionable outcomes and long-term strategies for the Cool Cities initiative. HafenCity Hamburg GmbH shared their approach to ensuring accurate measurement of project outcomes. This sparked meaningful discussions among the partners, and we will continue these (online) conversations in the coming months. The next partner meeting is scheduled for March, where we will be hosted in Hamburg to further strengthen our collaboration.
A collective effort for Cooler Cities
The success of this event was made possible by the dedication of all partners. Special thanks to Göteborgs Stad for hosting. Participating partners included Gemeente Rotterdam, Gemeente Middelburg, Stad Sint-Niklaas, Stadt Göttingen, Gemeente Arnhem, Ville de Saint-Omer, ZEBAU GmbH, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, Interreg North Sea Programme, and Bureau BUITEN.
