Using the messiness - Identification and Prioritization of Heat Stress Mitigating Projects

Climate change is amplifying heat stressrisks in European cities, diminishing the livability of public spaces. Thisissue is intensified by a lack of a spatial overview necessary for mitigatingaction. Heat stress disrupts crucial urban functions and poses health risks(Böcker & Thorsson, 2014; Ebi et al., 2021). Increasing urban densityfurther exacerbates this, reducing access to thermally comfortable publicspaces. Policymakers and urban planners commonly use meteorological data,remote sensing, and modelling to locate vulnerable areas. However, relyingsolely on these methods overlooks critical socio-environmental dynamics(Elnabawi & Hamza, 2020), complicating the prioritization of redesignefforts without a detailed overview.

Within the scope of the CoolTowns Interregproject, researchers developed a methodology to map heat vulnerabilities,incorporating both meteorological insights and crucial social and environmentalindicators (Spanjar et al., 2022). Researchers gained insights into key spatialand social indicators in co-creation sessions with the municipality of Breda,Netherlands. Afterward, advanced vulnerability maps were created usinghigh-resolution (1x1 m) Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) maps toidentify heat stress at the city level. Community amenities, such as medicalfacilities, grocery stores, schools, daycares, and primary and secondaryslow-traffic routes, were identified and layered atop the PET maps. Theselayers combine to form a powerful tool for policymakers to locate potentialfocus areas for heat stress mitigation.