Cool Cities

𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 #𝟮: 𝗥𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝘂 𝗣é𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁-𝗢𝗺𝗲𝗿, 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 🌿 In the historic heart of northern France, Ville de Saint-Omer is taking bold steps to adapt to a changing climate. The Rue du Pélicorne pilot, part of the wider Quartier des Salines redevelopment, focuses on bringing shade, greenery, and comfort to one of the city’s most heat-vulnerable areas. This central neighbourhood - home to many one-parent families and older residents - faces hot, paved summers with little relief. With support from the Interreg North Sea Programme, Saint Omer is testing nature-based solutions to make the street cooler and healthier: ✔ More trees and vegetation for natural shade  ✔ Greener, more permeable surfaces to manage rainwater  ✔ Cooler and more pleasant outdoor spaces for residents What makes this project unique? Rue du Pélicorne puts people first - focusing on community wellbeing as much as climate resilience. By aligning with France’s National Urban Renewal Programme, the project shows how social and environmental goals can reinforce each other. In the long term, the lessons learned here will help build a city-wide Cool Network, making Saint-Omer more resilient, inclusive, and connected. 🔗 More about the pilot: https://lnkd.in/eFmRz2Sv 🌱 This pilot is 1 of the 7 Cool Cities pilots. Learn more about our pilots: https://lnkd.in/ecEcKhzZ #coolcities #urbanplanning #greencities #naturebasedsolutions #saintomer #climateadaption #resilientcities

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 '𝗨𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻' This innovative design from Pauline van Dongen, supported by Gemeente Arnhem, brings together shade, beauty, and clean energy. Made from heliotex, a flexible solar textile, it provides cooling on hot days while storing energy to create a cozy evening glow. In the summer of 2026, it will be installed at Audrey Hepburnplein in Arnhem, where researchers will study how solar textiles can help lower perceived temperatures on warm summer days. 💡 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eSZBHhgf #DutchDesignWeek #UmbraPavilion #Arnhem #CoolCities #ClimateAdaptation #SolarEnergy #UrbanInnovation #DesignForChange

𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀! We’re welcoming Universitetet i Stavanger (UiS) as our new Norwegian partner. The Monitoring Committee of Interreg North Sea Programme has approved 12 projects to receive additional Norwegian funding to enable new and stronger Norwegian involvement. With this addition, Cool Cities gains additional expertise in urban planning and climate adaptation: helping us expand our network of cool spots and routes to make cities more comfortable on hot days. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eZSSaF6z #CoolCities #NorthSeaRegion #ClimateResilience #UrbanInnovation #Norway

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗶𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗮𝘀 💬 From 10-12 September, Cool Cities partners gathered in Sint-Niklaas for three days of productive collaboration. The mayor and aldermen warmly welcomed us to their city. Curious what our program looked like? 🎯 Co-creation of shared vision and strategic goals 🤝 Transnational learning sessions addressing concrete municipal challenges 🌳 Site visit to Sint-Niklaas' pilot at the central station 📊 Advanced monitoring methodologies ➡️ Progressed development of the Cool Cities roadmap Read the complete report of our meeting here: https://lnkd.in/e6rJCGBz #partnermeeting #SintNiklaas #progress

Today marks the first day of our partner meeting in Stad Sint-Niklaas! 🇧🇪 Over the next two days, partners from across Northern Europe will join forces to exchange ideas, share progress, and learn from one another. Our programme kicks off with interactive sessions and a site visit to Sint-Niklaas's pilot, where we will explore the redevelopment of the central station square. More updates to follow - stay tuned. Interreg North Sea Programme #SintNiklaas #CoolCities #Partnermeeting

Pilot #1: Waageplatz in Götting, Germany 🌿 Waageplatz is a lively square on the Leine Canal: a place for events like the Wine Festival and Night of Culture, and a busy crossing point for people heading to the station, city centre and university. The square no longer meets today’s needs: there’s little shade, not enough play areas for children, and limited spots for people to relax. The redesign uses nature-based solutions: ✔ Climate-resistant trees and pergolas for shade ✔ Green islands to guide movement and absorb rainwater ✔ A children’s water play area and access to the Leine Canal What makes this project unique? Residents help shape the plans, so the new Waageplatz will reflect how people really use the space. That’s about to change. Waageplatz will become a cooler, greener, more inclusive space, while keeping its role as a hub for daily life and events. 🔗 More about the pilot: https://lnkd.in/eZn6m5PZ 🌱 This pilot is one of the 6 Cool Cities pilots. Learn more about our pilots: https://lnkd.in/ecEcKhzZ #CoolCities #UrbanPlanning #GreenCities #NatureBasedSolutions #Göttingen #ClimateAdaptation

Did you know extreme heat kills more people than any other weather event? 🌡️ Some people are especially at risk: older adults, those with chronic illnesses, and of course young children and babies. The health effects can be serious. What may start as dehydration can progress to heat exhaustion, and in the worst case, turn into life-threatening heat stroke. Awareness is the first step. By bringing together different data sources, we can identify the hottest spots in our cities and better protect those most vulnerable. Interreg North Sea Programme #coolcities #cityclimate #extremeheat

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗽’𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 🌳 How do you cool down a densely built city during rising heatwaves? Antwerp responds with a dual approach: long-term greening and short-term “cool spots.” After detailed urban heat mapping revealed that some neighborhoods are up to 9°C hotter at night than nearby rural areas, the city launched a targeted plan: ➖ Cool spots: green, shaded, water-friendly spaces within 150 meters of every residence. Think canopy trees, unpaved surfaces, water fountains, and seating. ➖ Urban greening: from “Future Trees” to “Garden Streets,” plus incentives like free tree campaigns and schoolyard greening. The result? Increased comfort during heatwaves, especially for vulnerable residents like children and the elderly, and more livable streets year-round. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ev6EVRkm #inspiration #coolingdowncities #antwerp #belgium

𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 (𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵) 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆..🌡️ Europe is heating up, literally. While the whole continent is sweating, cities are hit the hardest. Ever noticed how much hotter it feels in town than in the countryside? That’s not your imagination. It’s called the urban heat island effect - and it can raise city temperatures by 2 to 7°C compared to rural areas. Here is why: 🌆 More buildings and asphalt = more trapped heat 🌳 Less green = less natural cooling 🚗 More traffic = more hot air Curious how this works? Swipe to learn more or visit https://lnkd.in/ePfvFWZX Interreg North Sea Programme #urbanheatisland #coolcities #cityclimate #urbanplanning #climateadaptation #heatwave

𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴 🌊🇪🇺 Cool Cities was proud to contribute at this year's North Sea Conference hosted by Interreg North Sea Programme. Our project lead Thijn de Voogd showcased practical, people-oriented solutions that make urban areas more resilient to heat and climate change. Inspiring to be part of a programme bringing together diverse projects - from healthcare to hydrogen, logistics to livable cities - all sharing one goal: a sustainable and resilient North Sea Region. Thanks to organizers and participants for the energy and commitment. Let's keep moving forward together! #coolcities #interregnorthsea #northseaconference2025 #climateadaptation #urbanresilience