Agenda

26 Mar 2026 09:00

Towards a Cooling Centre Research Network

San Giobbe, Sala Partesotti

Towards a Cooling Centre Research Network

26 March, 9 AM

Sala Partesotti (DEC) San Giobbe, Cannaregio 873, Venezia

Europe is a climate change hotspot. Despite the implementation of adaptation interventions since the 2003 heatwave, the number of heat-related fatalities continues to grow. In response, municipalities have started offering extreme heat services and spaces, often as part of heat action plans. While these have become popular in some states (eg. the United States and Spain), they are still in their infancy in Italy. Climate shelters or cooling centres often provide more than just venues for shelter during extreme events; they also foster social interaction and raise awareness of climate resilience and adaptation. They also foster climate resilience and heat adaptation by raising awareness and offering health and social services to citizens. In this sense, climate shelters also provide opportunities to promote social cohesion and the co-creation of social capital. Community-based adaptation strategies, such as climate refuges and cooling centres, also offer new ways to collect primary data that can improve our understanding of adaptation effectiveness and limitations. Indeed, climate change adaptation is generally under-represented in administrative and census data and population-based surveys, so a dedicated effort is required to collect more evidence on adaptation effectiveness to inform policy.

This workshop will bring together some of Italy's and Europe's existing cooling shelter, centre and refuge initiatives for the first time. The workshop will provide an opportunity to learn about recent cooling shelter initiatives. The ultimate goal is to explore the potential for, and interest in, establishing a Cooling Centre Research Network (CCRN), led by Ca’ Foscari and the Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC). The CCRN would facilitate harmonised and coordinated data collection and analysis, the organisation of events and training, and communication activities to maximise the visibility and social impact of these initiatives. The CCRN will also seek to identify funding opportunities. The event will offer the opportunity to five initiatives to present their actions.

Agenda

  • 9:30 - 10:00 Opening remarks and the Venice experience, Enrica De Cian, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia and Catarina Midoes, CMCC
  • 10:00 - 10:20 Evidence from a European project: Heatsafe
  • 10:00 - 12:40 Five slots for 30-minute presentations by participants
  • 12:40 - 13:15 General discussion and next steps
  • 13:30 - 14:30 Light lunch (on invitation)

List of presenters

Giacomo Falchetta
CMCC, Evidence from the European Project Heatsafe

Catarina Midoes
CMCC, Climate shelters as a social response to heat and climate illiteracy: Evidence from a 2025 Pilot in Venice

Federica Matteoli
Progetto OASI (Offerta di Assistenza Socio-Sanitaria Inclusiva) della Croce Rossa Italiana (CRI), Aspetti socio-sanitari dei centri di raffrescamento

Elena Lacort Maza
Cap de l’Oficina de canvi climàtic i qualitat de l’aire, Area Metropolitana de Barcelona, TBD

Giulia Benati
ICTA-UAB, Ufficio Clima del Comune di Roma, Verso il primo "Piano Caldo" di Roma: mappatura interattiva dei rifugi climatici e giustizia climatica urbana

Luca Velo
Emanuel Giannotti (Università Iuav di Venezia), with Cavv – Csv di Venezia
CliShe Climate Shelters for extreme heat adaptation

Luca Staricco and Elena Camilla Pede
Advancing Climate and Socio-Spatial Justice in Urban Heat Adaptation. Turin's Public Libraries as Climate Shelters

Zoom passcorde: W84agA

Language

The event will be held in English

Organized by

NICHE, DEC, CMCC, Interreg

Link

https://unive.zoom.us/j/4976079124?pwd=RFBVU2pXVE5LWnVNZ0FwVm0vTlN6dz09&omn=81569843184

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