By Luciano Malfer, Research and Family Development Manager, Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK)
Urban areas are now where the effects of climate change are felt most intensely. The urban heat island effect, caused by the widespread presence of concrete, asphalt and other impermeable surfaces, means that temperatures in cities are on average around 4°C higher than in the surrounding rural areas, with even greater differences during the evening hours (ISTAT – Benessere Equo e Sostenibile (BES); IPCC – Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report (AR6)).
At the global level, the Copernicus Climate Change Service – European State of the Climate 2024 confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year ever recorded, while Europe continues to be the fastest-warming continent, as highlighted by the World Meteorological Organization – State of the Climate in Europe. Under these conditions, heat continues to accumulate even during the night, preventing buildings from cooling naturally and significantly increasing health risks.
Extreme heat as a public health emergency
Heatwaves are now one of the most serious public health challenges linked to climate change. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) – *Heat and Health*, extreme heat has the greatest impact on older people, children, people with chronic illnesses and those who work outdoors. High temperatures increase the risk of dehydration, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, reduce sleep quality and affect both physical and mental wellbeing.
According to the European Environment Agency (EEA) – European Climate Risk Assessment – these impacts are even greater in cities with limited green spaces and large areas covered by concrete and asphalt. As a result, the availability of trees, parks, shaded areas and cool public spaces is becoming an increasingly important indicator of urban equity and quality of life.
The European Commission – Joint Research Centre (JRC) also highlights the growing problem of cooling poverty: the inability of some people to access suitable indoor or outdoor environments where they can stay cool and protect themselves during periods of extreme heat.
Climate shelters: a new infrastructure for urban adaptation
To respond to this challenge, many European cities are investing in climate shelters as a key part of their climate adaptation strategies. These are not simply air-conditioned public buildings. Instead, they form a network of accessible places that help people stay safe during periods of extreme heat. These include urban parks, tree-lined streets, shaded squares, fountains, libraries, community centres, museums and other public spaces where people can cool down.
The IPCC – Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report (AR6) – and the European Commission – EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change – identify green and blue infrastructure as one of the most effective ways to reduce the urban heat island effect, improve urban comfort, protect public health and make cities more resilient to climate change.
Urban green spaces: more than just parks
Today, urban green spaces are much more than attractive landscape features. They are a vital health, environmental and social infrastructure. Trees, parks and other green areas help reduce temperatures, improve air quality, support biodiversity and make cities more resilient to climate change. The World Health Organization (WHO Europe) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) – European Climate Risk Assessment – recognise green infrastructure as one of the most effective strategies for adapting cities to climate change.
The case of Valencia
Valencia is now one of Europe’s leading examples of how urban policy can turn a major environmental disaster into an opportunity for urban regeneration and climate adaptation. This transformation began after the devastating flood of 14 October 1957, when the Turia River overflowed, causing more than 80 deaths, displacing thousands of people and severely damaging the city. In response, the Plan Sur diverted the river to the south of Valencia, leaving the former riverbed that crossed the historic centre empty.
The city later transformed this former riverbed into its largest urban green infrastructure, creating one of the world’s most remarkable examples of how public space can be redesigned to improve quality of life and strengthen resilience to climate change.
During the 1970s, the Valencia City Council responded to citizens’ demands by abandoning plans to build an urban motorway through the former riverbed and instead transforming it into a large public park. This decision led to the creation of the Jardín del Turia, now regarded as the city’s main green corridor and one of the most successful examples of urban regeneration in Europe. Today, the City Council considers it a strategic green infrastructure for improving quality of life and strengthening the city’s resilience to climate change.
For this reason, Valencia continues to invest in its long-term enhancement through the Integrated Improvement Plan for the Jardín del Turia, aimed at preserving and upgrading this unique urban green space for future generations. Integrated Improvement Plan for the Jardín del Turia – Valencia City Council
The park stretches for almost 10 kilometres, covers more than 123 hectares, and is visited by millions of residents and tourists every year. It connects the Parque de Cabecera, the historic city centre, the Palau de la Música, the Bioparc, the Palau de les Arts, and the City of Arts and Sciences, forming Valencia’s main linear green infrastructure. The City’s Integrated Improvement Plan for the Jardín del Turia sets out a long-term vision to 2030, with a strong focus on ecological restoration, ecosystem services and the conservation of natural heritage.
Valencia’s environmental policy has been further strengthened through the Green and Urban Biodiversity Plan (Plan Verde y de la Biodiversidad Urbana). According to the plan, the city has 594 hectares of urban green space, including 14 large parks, 289 neighbourhood parks, 82 tree-lined avenues and 85 green areas linked to public facilities. The plan identifies the expansion of green infrastructure as one of the city’s main tools for addressing climate change, increasing biodiversity, improving urban comfort and progressively increasing the amount of green space available per resident.
Today, the Jardín del Turia is much more than an urban park. It is a multifunctional climate infrastructure, offering walking and cycling paths, sports facilities, playgrounds, cultural spaces and thousands of trees that help reduce the urban heat island effect. During heatwaves, it becomes one of Valencia’s main climate shelters, demonstrating how a long-term public policy (.Plan Verde y de la Biodiversidad Urbana – Comune di Valencia) can transform urban green space into a strategic infrastructure for public health, quality of life and climate resilience
Alongside the Jardín del Turia, Valencia City Council has developed a broader urban climate shelter strategy, creating a city-wide network of public spaces designed to provide relief during heatwaves. In addition to the city’s large parks, this network includes tree-lined squares, neighbourhood gardens, fountains, libraries, community centres, museums and other accessible public buildings. These spaces have been designed or upgraded to provide shade, drinking water, natural ventilation and, in some cases, air-conditioned indoor areas, helping people stay safe and comfortable during periods of extreme heat.
This network ensures that a comfortable climate is not concentrated in a single location but is distributed throughout the entire urban area, allowing residents to easily find cooler, more livable spaces during periods of intense heat. The Valencian model thus demonstrates how the quality of urban life can be improved through an integrated system of green infrastructure and public services, capable of combining climate adaptation, health, social inclusion, and the city’s appeal.