Cool Noons – final event
Date/heure
Date(s) - 29 June 2026
10h00 - 17h00
Catégories Pas de Catégories
Sustainable Tourism and Combating Heat Waves: Imola Hosts the Final Event of the European Cool Noons Project
On Monday, June 29, the Council Chamber in Imola will host the closing event of the European project, dedicated to a discussion among experts on climate adaptation strategies and heat island mitigation in the Mediterranean.
IMOLA (Bologna, Italy), June 2026 – On Monday, June 29, 2026, the Council Chamber in Imola will host the closing event of Cool Noons, a European project focused on adaptation to climate change in urban areas and on redefining tourism offerings during the hottest hours of the day. The initiative, co-funded by the Interreg Euro-MED program of the European Union, involves the collaboration of the Metropolitan City of Bologna within a transnational network of 9 partners from 6 European countries, committed to testing innovative solutions to improve thermal comfort. Among the main pilot cities of the project is Imola, which, together with Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Budva, and Marseille, has tested mitigation strategies and models of resilient tourism directly in the field.
The morning program: a dialogue between institutions and experts
The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the welcome and registration of participants. At 10:00 a.m., there will be opening remarks, followed by the first panel titled “Key achievements of the Cool Noons project and the experience of Imola,” which will delve into the project methodology. Speakers will include Marianne Martin (AVITEM) for a general introduction to the project, Maria Vrasida (American College of Greece) to explain the methodology used in the project, Imola’s Deputy Mayor Elisa Spada with a focus on public policies and local action plans against urban heat, and Carolina Cantergiani (Senior Researcher at Tecnalia) to present the ESPON GILL project.
Starting at 11:15 a.m., the roundtable discussion “Building heat resilience – Beyond Cool Noons experience” will feature an open dialogue among industry professionals and European stakeholders on the development of urban green policies.
Photography exhibition and Cool Path Walk in the afternoon
The morning session will conclude at 12:30 p.m. with the opening of the exhibition and the awards ceremony for the international “Urban Heat” photography contest. Born out of the Cool Noons project, the contest invited participants to visually capture spontaneous resilience to extreme heat in the five pilot cities (Imola, Budva, Lisbon, Marseille, and Dubrovnik). The photographs on display offer a visual narrative of how communities adapt to heat waves, depicting the search for shade, climate shelters, and everyday gestures to find relief in urban spaces.
The afternoon will be devoted to hands-on exploration of the area. From 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM, the “Public Walk: discovering Cool Noons paths in Imola” will take place. Led by experts from Villaggio Globale, a social cooperative specializing in active citizenship and participatory planning, the walk will allow participants to explore firsthand the urban routes created as part of the project. The “Cool Paths” are the result of a collaborative effort with citizens, schools, and local associations, aimed at reimagining public space to combat heat waves during the midday hours. During the guided tour, participants will be able to experience firsthand the solutions for adapting to and mitigating climate change implemented in Imola’s historic center, including the strategic placement of new trees, benches, and fountains. The day will conclude at 5:00 PM.
