Imagine walking through your city on a scorching summer day, the heat reflecting off buildings and pavements intensifying with every step. This isn't just an inconvenience—it’s a growing reality for urban populations worldwide. Climate change is accelerating the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, and cities are bearing the brunt of it. The urban heat island effect, caused by dense infrastructure and limited green spaces, turns our cities into heat traps, making life increasingly uncomfortable and, for some, dangerously unsafe.

Faced with these challenges, the focus has shifted from simply reducing emissions to actively adapting our urban environments. How can we design cities that protect their inhabitants during extreme heat events? Enter climate shelters—innovative spaces designed to offer immediate relief from thermal stress. These can be public parks shaded by tree canopies, air-conditioned libraries, or cooling stations equipped with water fountains. Climate shelters don’t just address physical discomfort; they represent a shift in urban planning, prioritizing human well-being and resilience.

Cities like Barcelona, Paris, Rotterdam, and Brussels are leading the way, pioneering strategies to integrate climate shelters into their urban fabric. But what makes these solutions effective? And how can other cities adapt these ideas to their unique contexts?

This course invites you to explore these questions, delving into the science of urban microclimates and the art of designing adaptive urban spaces. By understanding the principles behind climate shelters, you'll gain insights into how thoughtful design can transform cities into havens of comfort and sustainability. Whether you're an aspiring architect, urban planner, or simply passionate about resilient cities, this course equips you to be part of the solution to one of our most pressing global challenges. Join us in reimagining urban life for a warming world.

Toulouse, located in the south-west of France, is at the forefront of the urban climate crisis, regularly hitting 40C and above during the summer. As such, Toulouse Métropole has been working in collaboration with local researchers for a number of years in order to initiate its climate transition. As part of this ECIU challenge, students will be invited to consider the potential deployment of a network of climate shelters in the city.

This work will help students grow skills across a vairety of disciplines including:

• Microclimatology for outdoor climate shelters and the study of the Toulouse climatic context
• Building thermics and building renovation for indoor climate shelters
• Energy for the energy supply of HVAC systems
• Geography and/or sociology for the accessibility of this network
• Architecture and/or urban planning for the integration of these spaces into a larger urban project