1. Context:
Budva—Montenegro’s Adriatic gem—welcomes some 60,000 visitors on its busiest summer days, drawn to the walled Old Town, sunlit beaches, and vibrant cultural scene. Yet these same sun-drenched streets record temperatures soaring well above 35 °C, challenging comfort, conservation, and tourism patterns. Problem: The Mediterranean region is heating some 20 % faster than the global average. By 2050, urban heatwaves here are projected to double, turning midday promenades into “thermal barriers.” In Budva, unshaded streets and playgrounds deter midday exploration and strain local infrastructure, threatening quality of life and the town’s tourism appeal.
Cool Noons in Budva will deliver realistic, feasible, and rapid interventions to transform sun-baked streets into shaded, welcoming corridors. Along the path from the Academy of Knowledge to Old Town, we will plant nine drought-tolerant canopy trees, position six decorative planters on plazas, and introduce 32 fragrant shrubs and flowering climbers—all selected to maximize evapotranspiration cooling. A timber pergola and UV-stable shade sails will provide immediate relief for office workers, families, and visitors. Every element is co-designed with local insight: residents and tourists will help refine planter layouts and pergola-vines schemes, ensuring Budva’s Cool Noon Path combines community identity with lasting comfort.
Solution 1 – Strategic Greening
• Nine Shade Trees: Holm Oak, Carob, and European Hackberry saplings planted in prepared pits, each with slow-release irrigation bags to ensure establishment.
• Ornamental Shrubs & Climbers: Thirty-two evergreen shrubs (lavender, rosemary, dwarf oleander) and eight flowering vines (bougainvillea, star jasmine) to amplify evapotranspiration and soften the urban fabric.
Solution 2 – Container Plantings
• Six Decorative Planters: Durable, 80 cm-diameter planters with Olive or ornamental citrus saplings, strategically placed on otherwise unplantable plazas and sidewalks. Underplanting of drought-tolerant groundcovers adds seasonal color and cooling.
Solution 3 – Lightweight Shading Structures
• Wooden Pergola: A 4 × 4 m treated-timber structure near the Academy of Knowledge, designed for integrated seating and vine growth to create a shaded rest zone.
• UV-Resistant Shade Sails: Two triangular sails (5 – 6 m per side) over the waterfront playground, offering 20–30 m² of midday refuge for families.
4. Proof of Success
N/A Will be available after the investment realization.
5. Vision
Over the next two years, Budva’s COOL NOONS pilot will crystallize practical, citizen-driven guidelines to bolster urban heat resilience for both residents and visitors. Summer’s future for our coastal towns depends on our ability to adapt: Budva’s inaugural Cool Noon Path already offers shaded waypoints and hydration stations to ease midday heat. Imagine extending these cool corridors across the entire city, along Montenegro’s coastline, and into every Mediterranean seafront—where asphalt gives way to living soil, fauna-friendly greenery, and pocket forests. COOL NOONS marries imagination with action, weaving local narratives into scalable, nature-based interventions. From these first micro-scale victories, we will spark a region-wide transformation—turning heat islands into interconnected networks of refreshment and comfort.
