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Ready4Heat

Project overview

Development of municipal strategies and action plans to improve heat resilience in cities

Global warming comes with more frequent and intense heat waves. Cities in central Europe need to adapt but many still lack efficient strategies and action plans to protect their citizens from heat. The Ready4Heat project helps them to introduce tested short-, medium- and long-term measures with a focus on the most urgent issue: sudden heat waves. The project makes proven and tested measures such as heat warning systems accessible to all cities and helps them to adopt these quickly.

2,04m €

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

4

Countries

6

Regions

9

Partners

4

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

36%

Project partnership

Project partners

Slovenija (SI)

Lead partner

Development agency Sinergija

Address
Kranjčeva 3
9226 Moravske Toplice
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
https://www.ra-sinergija.si/

Project partner

Address
Ulica arhitekta Novaka 2b
9000 Murska Sobota
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
www.czr.si
Total partner budget
199,500 €
Address
Ulica Heroja Staneta 12b
2000 Maribor
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
www.maribor.si
Total partner budget
219,523 €
Adaptation to climate change
Address
Galvanistr. 28
60486 Frankfurt am Main
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
https://www.climatealliance.org
Total partner budget
210,000 €
Climate protection and adaptation to climate change
Address
Marktplatz 2
67547 Worms
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
https://www.worms.de
Total partner budget
220,000 €
Address
Schumanngasse 3
8010 Graz
Country
Austria (AT)
Web
www.klimabuendnis.at/steiermark
Total partner budget
197,400 €
Location development Weiz
Address
Hauptplatz 7
8160 Weiz
Country
Austria (AT)
Web
www.weiz.at
Total partner budget
220,080 €
Address
Bartók B. u. 7
9024 Győr
Country
Hungary (HU)
Web
http://reflexegyesulet.hu/
Total partner budget
180,012 €
Address
Bocskai István tér 1
4220 Hajdúböszörmény
Country
Hungary (HU)
Web
www.hajduboszormeny.hu
Total partner budget
301,819 €

Roadmap

1

Creating the Strategic Action Plan

This strategy paper formulates the lessons learned during the creation of the heat action plan in Worms, one of our pilot cities. The document provides insights into the creation and implementation process and emphasizes the importance of understanding local structures and involving stakeholders. It discusses the requirements for creating a Heat Action Plan, including the need for time, personnel and funding, as well as recommendations for external support and clear responsibilities. It provides a distinct basis on which the other three pilot cities of Weiz, Maribor and Hajdúböszörmény can build their own heat action plans.

2

Train the Trainers

In our Train-the-Trainers workshops, we aimed to disseminate valuable insights and expertise on developing effective Heat Action Plans, drawing from our successful experience in Worms. These workshops served as a platform to transfer knowledge to representatives from three other pilot cities. By sharing the intricacies of our heat action planning process, we aimed to empower these cities to create their own comprehensive Heat Action Plans tailored to their unique circumstances. The collaborative initiative reflects our commitment to fostering resilience in the face of rising temperatures and ensuring that cities globally are equipped to tackle the challenges posed by extreme heat through strategic planning and coordinated efforts.

3

Heat Maps created for each City

In order to develop the most efficient heat adaptation strategy possible, the pilot cities need to know where the heat spots are in their respective cities. To this end, we used satellite images to analyze the heat levels in the different parts of the city and assess where measures are particularly necessary and where vulnerable infrastructure and groups are located in the heat spots. In addition, a climate ensemble was created to illustrate the coming changes and show how climate change can influence important indicators such as heat days or tropical nights in the coming decades. The Results can be found under "Outputs"!

4

Stakeholder kick-off events in Hajdúböszörmény, Maribor and Weiz

In order to create a basis for the development of a heat action plan and the implementation of heat protection measures, stakeholder kick-off events were held in the Ready4Heat pilot cities in July 2023. The events brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from various sectors. The primary objective of these local kick-off events was to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and develop the stakeholder networks to mitigate the impacts of heatwaves on communities, infrastructure, and the environment.

5

Next Steps - What we work on right now!

Various developments are currently taking place. The four pilot cities are busy finalising their pilot action planning and will start implementing soon, stakeholder workshops are currently taking place in Hajdúböszörmény, Maribor and Weiz. And next year, the development of the local heat-health action plan will be starting. Look out for local actions in your city!

News

First Project Update

P2 Green

NEWS

30.11.2023

First Project Update

We have reached our first milestones and would like to give you an overview of our progress so far!

Events

No events found

Outputs

Strategy and Action Plan Concept

The strategy paper outlines the development and implementation process of a Heat Health Action Plan (HHAP) and reflects the experiences made by the city of Worms. It emphasizes the importance of developing a Heat-Health Action Plan and highlights the need for adequate resources in terms of time, staff and funding. It also discusses building the HHAP on existing policies and strategies and the importance of gaining political support. In addition, the paper provides a detailed overview of the process of creating a HHAP for the city Worms. It covers aspects such as understanding the state of knowledge and experiences with heat health action plans, identifying heat vulnerable areas, involving stakeholders through participation and networking, preparing the actual plan, establishing and continuing its implementation, and engaging in public outreach. It also recognizes the uniqueness of each municipality and its structures, the need for tailored strategies and the involvement of stakeholders at different levels.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Heat Map for the City of Maribor

This map is the general heat stress map for the city of Maribor. We can clearly see the effects of urban heat build-up, with little to no heat stress on the outer parts of the city and the biggest heat stress in the centre areas of the city or in areas with a high degree of surface sealing. The heat stress level is divided into 5 classes and color-coded, so that the darker the red becomes on the map, the bigger the heat stress. You can also find vulnerable infrastructure marked in the map—hospitals, kindergartens, nursing homes, and schools. Down below you can also find the "Heat Hot Spot Focus Map", which will visualize the heat hot spots in the city and where they overlap with vulnerable infrastructure. This map exclusively shows the high and very high heat stress areas in the city. We can make out a couple of heat centers, namely to the east and west of the hospital north of the river. It does not start too close to the river, which highlights the cooling properties of the river on these heat days. Another one is to the west of the first one, on the south side of the river. A third small one lies to the east of the heat hot spot described before, south of the river, to the east of the graveyard. The largest connected heat hot spot lies to the south of the city where we can find a lot of industry and business. There, a lot of the ground was sealed for parking lots, warehouses, or stores. Those areas create a very heated environment, which is also transferred to the neighboring settlements. ©The underlying map is protected by copyright and was provided by the Slovenian Surveying and Mapping Authority. It can only be used if the original copyright holder is cited.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Heat Map for the City of Hajdúböszörmény

This map shows the full extent of heat stress in the city of Hajdúböszörmény. It can be seen that the very circular shape of the city is completely covered by at least a low level of heat stress, which in this case still means a land surface temperature of over 37 °C. Around the city, an important anomaly must be emphasized. We can see that some areas are classified as "field" and have a high level of heat stress. This is due to the rich dark soils that we find in the area around Hajdúböszörmény. This dark soil will heat up even more due to its dark color and reach very high surface temperatures. Most of the satellite images were taken towards the middle or end of the summer, when some fields had already been harvested, the soil plowed and the dark soil exposed. Other areas around the city show the usual picture of it being much cooler than in the city itself. In the city itself, we see some green areas that also have a cooling effect. These are located along parks or green spaces. About half of the city is affected by heat stress of the "medium" level and higher. Hajdúböszörmény had by far the highest surface temperatures of all the cities surveyed. These heat stress classifications are a relative comparison of the urban area in order to highlight heat islands. You can also find heat maps highlighting the different hot spots in the city down below.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Heat Map for the City of Weiz

The initial map of Weiz illustrates varying heat stress levels across the town. Forested areas in the west and east experience minimal heat stress, while moving towards Street 64, the stress intensifies due to increased density, sealed spaces, and structures like buildings, parking lots, and warehouses. The "Weiz Heat Hot Spots Focus Map" hones in on the highest two heat stress levels along Street 64, from northwest to southeast. Major hot spots cluster near areas with high ground sealing, warehouses, and businesses, extending their impact to nearby settlements. Notable spots include Siemens Business Park and "Intersport" in the northeast, a concentrated heat spot at the Street 64 and 72 intersection, and a southern settlement and business park affected by high heat stress. The "Weiz Heat Hot Spot 65 – 85Y Elderly" map combines heat stress levels with the density of the elderly aged 65 to 85. Dark blue areas, such as nursing homes in the northwest and center-west, indicate high elderly density in high heat stress zones. Additional high-density regions exist in the center, close to the intense heat stress area in the center-south, and other areas with at least medium heat stress. Lastly, the "Weiz Heat Hot Spot >85Y – Very Elderly" map combines heat stress levels with the density of individuals above 85. Similar high-density areas in the center-west and northwest, near nursing homes, show vulnerability in high heat stress zones. Other areas in the center and east, identified in the previous map, also exhibit higher density of very elderly individuals, bordering on very high heat stress zones. A smaller dense area lies to the east in a medium heat stress zone. ©Othophoto copyright lays by Land Steiermark. It can only be used if the original copyright holder is cited.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Project documents

Full report on the heat and climate analysis of the pilot cities

Ready4Heat

The project lead partner is responsible for the content of this project website.

Project Contacts

Project Manager

Katja Karba
Phone: +38625381356

Finance Manager

Tadeja Horvat
Phone: +38625381356

Communication Manager

Wolfgang Hofstetter
Phone: 0049 69 71713913