European Parliament hosts presentation on urban landscape design for climate adaptation

At the European Parliament in Brussels, the Landscape Festival – I Maestri del Paesaggio was presented to advocate for integrating urban landscape design into climate adaptation policies. Initiated by MEP Giorgio Gori, the presentation highlighted that climate change requires cities to rethink urban spaces through design-led decisions regarding soil temperature, shade, and water management, rather than relying solely on engineering or infrastructure.

Data from the MIRIFICUS project, coordinated by CNR-IBE with ISPRA support, demonstrates the impact of urban reforestation. In Florence, tree-lined urban areas recorded surface temperatures of 35.9 degrees Celsius, compared to 44.6 degrees in compact built-up areas—a difference of nearly nine degrees. In Naples, the gap between urban and rural areas can exceed nine degrees. The research indicates that introducing new vegetation can reduce surface temperatures by more than four degrees during peak daylight hours.