CAVIAR participated in an international meeting on green infrastructure and climate change adaptation at Uppsala University. Last week, the University of Uppsala hosted an international event bringing together students, academic staff and researchers from Switzerland, Sweden and Spain to reflect on the role of urban green spaces as a key tool in addressing climate change.
The meeting is part of the ENLIGHT European University “Adapting to climate change: Ecosystem services of urban green zones” and forms part of the symposium “Urban green zones as cooling safeguards: a student-led mini-symposium on climate sensitive urban development in Uppsala and Bern”, held on 2 June 2026 in Uppsala.
The initiative, coordinated by Uppsala University together with the University of Bern, brought together academic and student teams from different European institutions to explore urban adaptation strategies in response to rising temperatures.
Student research and urban climate
During the event, results from student-led research projects on climate-sensitive urban development were presented, with a particular focus on urban heat islands and perceptions of heat stress in cities such as Uppsala and Bern.
The studies highlighted how urban planning and green infrastructure can help improve thermal comfort and reduce the impacts of extreme heat on populations.
Green infrastructure, health and urban planning
The programme included a panel discussion with experts from universities, public administrations and research centres, addressing urban planning strategies, public health, and the design of green spaces adapted to different climatic contexts.
Urtza Uriarte Otazua, a member of the CAVIAR research group at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), contributed to the discussion on thermal comfort in Atlantic climates and urban adaptation. Representatives from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala Municipality, and several urbanism and environmental science research groups also took part.
Academic cooperation and future challenges
The symposium highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between universities, students and public administrations in advancing towards more climate-resilient cities. Alongside the academic presentations, experiences on microclimate monitoring in Bern and analytical tools for urban design were shared.
The event concluded with a synthesis session emphasising the role of urban green spaces not only as landscape elements, but as essential infrastructure for climate adaptation and urban health across Europe.