The HeatResilientCity project group has won the German Sustainability Research Award 2022. The transdisciplinary project, in which the Technische Universität Dresden is significantly involved as a key partner, researches how densely built-up city quarters and the people who live there can be protected from the summer heat in the long term. The award ceremony took place on the evening of December 3^rd in Düsseldorf as well as an online event.

Die Freude über die Auszeichnung mit dem Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitspreis ist im Projektteam von HeatResilientCity riesengroß, denn sie macht deutlich, wie wichtig die Forschung zu nachhaltiger Hitzeanpassung in Stadtquartieren ist. Die Rekordsommer 2018 und 2019 haben es deutlich gemacht: Lang anhaltende Hitzewellen werden in der Zukunft eine der großen Herausforderungen für die Stadtentwicklung sein. Wie Kommunen, die Wohnungswirtschaft, aber auch die Bevölkerung reagieren und schon jetzt vorsorgen können, untersuchen die Projektpartner seit 2017.

The HeatResilientCity project team attaches great importance to the exchange with the residents in the two urban districts examined in Erfurt and Dresden. Above all, measures that they consider sensible are implemented in the project in order to increase the acceptance of necessary preventive measures against summer heat. A lot has already happened in the neighborhoods: In Dresden-Gorbitz, three buildings have been refurbished to adapt to heat. In the eastern part of Erfurt, 50 new climate-adapted trees and bushes provide more shade and cooling. In addition, drinking water stations were set up in the project, a flowering meadow was created and tree sponsorships and irrigation initiatives were started.

The involvement of the local population, the broad implementation of the first measures, and the innovative investigations in the project were also the decisive factors in an independent jury nominating the HeatResilientCity project together with two other finalists for the German Sustainability Research Award. In addition to HeatResilientCity, the projects “Green City of the Future” and “LoKlim - Local Competence Development for Climate Change Adaptation in Small and Medium-Sized Municipalities and Counties” were in the final. Public online voting in October and November finally brought the decision. On December 3^rd, Professor Heidi Sinning from the Institute for Urban Research, Planning and Communication (ISP) at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt received the award on behalf of the HeatResilientCity project team. Due to the current Corona situation, the award ceremony took place in Düsseldorf with a significantly reduced number of participants and was broadcast online for those interested.

Until January 2023, HeatResilientCity will now focus on further training. The project team will train administrative, housing, and health care workers on the subject of heat adaptation and enable them to implement adaptation measures. It also develops suitable tools and decision-making aids for urban and open space planning, but also the individual actions of citizens.

The HeatResilientCity project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the “Leitinitiative Zukunftsstadt” project in the subject area “Climate resilience through action in the city and region”. In addition to the Professorship for Meteorology at Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), the project network includes the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) in Dresden, the Institute for Urban Research, Planning and Communication at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt (ISP), the University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Dresden, the Environmental Office of the state capital Dresden, the Environmental and Nature Conservation Office of the state capital Erfurt as well as in phase I the Railway Housing Cooperative Dresden and in phase II the Office for Health and Prevention of the state capital Dresden.

The German Research Sustainability Prize was awarded for the tenth time. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) had awarded him the prize. This year the competition focused on adapting to climate change and dealing with extreme weather events in cities and regions. We were looking for application-oriented projects that present solutions for adapting to climate change and thus meet the challenges of climate change through preventive action.

Information HeatResilientCity: http://heatresilientcity.de/

Information German Sustainability Award: https://www.nachhaltigkeitspreis.de/

Contact at TU Dresden
Dr. Astrid Ziemann
Dr. Valeri Goldberg