LIFECOOLCITY

The ambition of the project “Using remote sensing to manage blue-green infrastructure of cities in the process of adaptation to climate change” (LIFECOOLCITY) is to support the management of blue-green infrastructure (BGI) in 10,000 cities of the European Union, through the implementation of innovative systems using GIS (geographic information systems) and remote sensing (satellite and aerial images). The aim of the activities is to strengthen the adaptive capacity of cities to the effects of anthropogenic climate change, and thus bring them closer to the model of smart cities of the future.

As a result, city managers and residents will have access to four information products, grouped into two IT systems. They will help identify the greatest adaptation needs of the urban areas they inhabit, create a BZI management strategy to minimize climate risks and monitor the effectiveness of its implementation.

The EUROPE system will identify areas of increased environmental challenges in European cities based on satellite data and will include two products:

• CoolCity Ranking – a free report published periodically from 2025 until the end of the project and after its completion, which will include an assessment of the state of BZI in at least 10,000 cities of the European Union. It will provide knowledge about trends in changes in the state of BZI in cities, allowing for a comparison of the scale of problems and adaptation needs occurring in them.
• CoolCity View – a paid report containing more detailed information on the variation in the scale of the problem in a specific city. It will be possible to order it from 2025. The study will contain maps illustrating the spatial variability of environmental problems in the city and will indicate the areas with the greatest intensity. Ordered periodically, it will provide knowledge on the change in the scope and intensity of environmental problems within the city.

The CITY system will operate based on information obtained from the air altitude and will become a tool to support decisions on the implementation of specific NBS ( nature-based solutions , solutions based on nature) on a city scale. Within the CITY system it will be possible to order two paid products:

• CoolCity Design – this report will allow to indicate key areas of BZI intervention in the city space and propose the most beneficial solutions based on nature. The BZI status audit will also indicate areas of natural value that should be protected due to their beneficial counteracting the effects of climate change.
• CoolCity Monitoring – this report will enable the assessment of the status of implemented BZI solutions and the effectiveness of their operations.

The first city for which a concept of the reconstruction of the BZI (blue-green infrastructure) will be created based on the project products is Wrocław. Thanks to the acquired aerial data and the developed remote sensing information products, the city’s needs will be identified first. On this basis, actions will be implemented, including the reconstruction of the BZI, changes in the method of maintaining green areas or the protection of places particularly valuable in terms of the city’s adaptation to climate change, and then the effectiveness of the changes will be assessed.

During the project, an information and educational platform “Life in Cool City” will be created, enabling direct access to the information products being developed. It will be a knowledge base on issues related to the use of remote sensing in the adaptation of cities to climate change.

Seven organisations are involved in the project:

MGGP Aero – leader, City of Wrocław, University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, UNESCO Chair of Ecohydrology and Applied Ecology, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Dr. Sieker mbH , UNEP/GRID Warsaw in the structure of the National Foundation for Environmental Protection.

Project activities are planned for 2023–2029.