The heatwave in June and July 2026 has shown once again that our towns and local authorities must better equip themselves to cope with the consequences of climate change. Heatwaves are occurring more frequently, lasting longer and placing a strain on people, infrastructure and urban green spaces alike. In densely built-up neighbourhoods in particular, heat and pollutants build up, whilst the night-time cooling effect is increasingly failing to materialise. Coping with summer heat is therefore becoming a key challenge for many local authorities in the years ahead.

In its booklet ‘Making Cities Cooler’, the Association of German Landscape Architects presents 20 action-oriented recommendations – aimed in particular at mayors and decision-makers in city and local authorities – on how nature-based solutions can effectively reduce these pressures and make local authorities more resilient – ranging from strategic and organisational foundations to concrete planning and infrastructure measures in the urban environment. Decisions taken today will have a decisive impact on tomorrow’s quality of life and climate resilience.

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