ACINN Graduate Seminar - SS 2025

2025-04-02 at 12:00 (on-line and on-site)

Beating the Heat in Innsbruck: The State of the Urban Climate and Municipal Actions against the Local Effects of Climate Change

Christine Schermer & Michael Deflorian

Amt klimaneutrale Stadt, Stadtklima und Umwelt, Innsbruck, Austria

 

Innsbruck is one of the hottest cities in Austria: In 2023, 40 heat days could be counted, the most among all regional capitals. To prevent health hazards for the city population and to slow down the increase in urban heat, the municipal administration has taken measures. They reach from commissioning a city climate analysis, developing strategies and action plans for climate change adaptation, to, most recently, rebuilding city squares towards climate-fitness and citizen participation. By hiring an urban climatologist, Innsbruck is taking yet another step towards dealing with the local effects of climate change.

While taking these measures, a number of challenges have emerged: How to organize such a complex issue within the hierarchical structure of a city administration? How to reach the most vulnerable groups of society in times of a decentralized media landscape? And how to include climatological data into the planning and realization of building projects? After introducing Innsbruck’s urban climate analysis and exemplary projects of climate change adaptation, these and other questions shall be addressed.

 

 

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