Cooling Havens: Water-Powered Neighborhood Cooling and Engagement Stations

Athens faces severe climate challenges, particularly extreme urban heat and flash floods. These are exacerbated by the impermeability of over 80% of the city’s surfaces, and the absence of water-sensitive design. The "Cooling Havens: Water-Powered Neighbourhood Cooling and Engagement Stations" project is designed to reintroduce water as a natural cooling agent and community resource within the urban landscape. By strategically installing neighbourhood-specific blue-green infrastructure, the project reduces local temperatures, mitigates flooding, and fosters environmental sustainability. These interventions use innovative water harnessing techniques, such as rainwater harvesting gardens, sewer-mining water playgrounds and bioswale wetlands, transforming neglected areas into community assets.

Beyond physical infrastructure, Cooling Havens also establishes engagement hubs and educational platforms, connecting citizens to water-conscious practices and highlighting sustainable urban planning. The Athens Water School and Digital Lab for Water Memories will foster community stewardship through hands-on workshops and storytelling experiences about water’s role in local heritage. Activities also include two training programmes. One to equip vulnerable groups with maintenance skills, and another providing municipal officials with management and scaling techniques, supported by a real-time Open Data Public Lab for informed decision-making. The expected result is a comprehensive, resilient urban network tackling Athens’ extreme climate challenges while instilling a sustainable water culture in urban planning.