Resilience Scanner

Interactive Heat Relief Mapping Platform

Solution Overview

The City of Paris provides an interactive map on its website annually to help users identify optimal locations for heat relief.[6] This digital platform displays all permanent and temporary cooling islands throughout the city, accessible at capgeo.sig.paris.fr.[1] The initiative emerged from Paris's broader climate adaptation framework, with the City of Paris requesting Apur to define, locate, and map cool air itineraries and islands in the context of the climate change adaptation strategy (2015) and the new Paris Climate Plan (2018).[2]

Technical Components

The interactive mapping system presents dynamic maps on the paris.fr site, featuring separate visualizations for daytime and nighttime cooling routes.[2] Information for the cool spots map was collected in 2018 by Apur (Atelier parisien d'urbanisme) at the request of the City of Paris.[3] The platform identifies more than 800 cool islands, including fountains, misters, swimming pools, shaded wooded areas, and air-conditioned public places.[3] Additionally, the system maps over 1,400 cooling spots known as "cooling islands," which are establishments serving as havens of hospitality that offer respite and refreshment, open to all during hot or sweltering conditions.[1] The mapping infrastructure also incorporates Paris's 1,300 water distribution points, including drinking water fountains in parks and gardens that provide water of excellent quality.[1]

Implementation Details

Paris created 800 'cool island' spaces across the city in response to the heating effect of the climate crisis.[4] The Paris Adaptation Strategy, implemented in 2015 as a framework unanimously approved by the Paris City Council, aimed to adapt to climate change risks and their impacts on the city's residents and resources.[5] This strategy ensures that all residents live within a seven-minute walk of a cool place and mandates that city parks remain open 24 hours a day during heat spells.[5] The implementation includes increasing the area and length of the city's cooling pathways during heat waves.[5] The strategy sets out four priority areas: protecting Parisians against extreme climate events; ensuring water, food, and energy supply; living with climate change; and fostering new lifestyles and boosting solidarity.[5]

Benefits and Impacts

Parisians have access to new cooling options during heat spells, reducing the amount of heat-related health issues.[5] The interactive map helps users find places to cool off, day or night, through the comprehensive network of more than 800 identified cool islands.[3] The system provides access to over 1,400 cooling spots that serve as establishments offering relief during hot or sweltering conditions.[1]

Climate Adaptation Relevance

This approach directly addresses extreme heat events by providing residents with accessible information about cooling locations throughout the city. The mapping system supports the Paris Adaptation Strategy's priority of protecting Parisians against extreme climate events through strategic placement of cooling infrastructure within a seven-minute walk of all residents.[5]

Business Analysis

The Paris Adaptation Strategy framework, unanimously approved by the Paris City Council in 2015, provides the policy foundation for this digital mapping initiative.[5] The implementation involved partnership with Apur (Atelier parisien d'urbanisme), which collected information in 2018 to support the mapping effort.[3] The initiative aligns with the new Paris Climate Plan (2018) and the broader climate change adaptation strategy from 2015.[2]

Sources