Summers are getting hotter and hotter and dealing with increasing periods of heat is a major challenge for our cities. Promising concepts are encouraging and the first implementations are showing the way. Private property owners can also take action.
With the first nationwide Climate Adaptation Act, an important milestone in the fight against the consequences of the climate crisis has been in force since 1 July 2024. Important precautionary and adaptation measures include more urban greenery as a natural air conditioning system, sponge city concepts as modern urban adaptation and heat action plans as a health precaution.
The greyer the cities, the higher the temperatures. This is because concrete and asphalt heat up considerably and release this heat into their surroundings! Plants, on the other hand, are completely different. They actively cool their immediate surroundings through their leaves by evaporating water. Large plants such as trees and shrubs also provide pleasant shade, as do climbing plants that green a pergola.
Trees reduce heat stress on hot days, supply the environment with oxygen and bind climate-damaging CO2. They make a decisive contribution to maintaining the quality of life in cities in the face of increasing global warming. What a tree needs to grow and how it influences its environment varies from tree species to tree species. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed the online tool "CityTree". It enables cities, municipalities and interested parties to find out which tree species are particularly suitable for the local climate.
With the "Green Room" in Dortmund's Nordstadt district, the city of Dortmund has created a pioneering project. The "Green Room" is a temporary green space in public areas. A large number of local players organised various activities. The focus was on the question of what residents want for their neighbourhood so that it offers a pleasant stay even on hot days.
Photo: © Tama66, Pixabay
