ZDF's 'City Vibes' series examines cooling and safety innovations in European cities

The ZDF documentary series "City Vibes" is part of the broadcaster's "plan b" initiative and will be shown in two 45‑minute episodes on Sunday, 28 June and Sunday, 5 July 2026 at 15:30, with streaming available on the ZDF portal. Produced by ECO DOCUMENTARIES, the first episode investigates how European cities can reduce heat through design and technology, showcasing projects such as a wooden high‑rise in Delft with rooftop forests, "tiny forests" in Athens, reflective pavement inspired by Crete’s white houses, and a prototype cooling bus shelter in Sevilla. The second episode focuses on improving urban safety, featuring a smartphone‑based alarm app in Munich, Berlin’s "Awareness" conflict‑prevention teams, gender‑sensitive redesign of public spaces in Vienna, and an AI‑driven system that detects violence on Bremen trams. The series is authored by Anni Brück (episode 1) and Babette Hnup (episode 2) and includes subtitles and German sign‑language interpretation.