Project description
Designing cooler, more inclusive cities for a warming world
Cities are placing the need to keep streets, squares, parks and other public open spaces safe, inclusive and resilient for human and more-than-human communities at the top of the agenda as temperatures rise and heatwaves intensify. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the RESTinHEAT project examines outdoor resting and cooling practices in Barcelona, Diyarbakir (Amed) and Melbourne. It will analyse how cities address heat and bring local communities into the process of co-generating knowledge. The results will be turned into actionable urban design and practical policy recommendations. The overall goal is to help cities design more equitable, climate-resilient public spaces that support multispecies health, well-being and adaptation to rising temperatures.
Objective
RESTinHEAT aims to transform public open spaces (POS) into inclusive, climate-resilient shelters where humans and more-than-humans can rest safely during heat extremes. It frames outdoor rest as both climate exposure and a heat adaptation practice, with implications for health and equity. Knowledge on rest is fragmented in urban studies, often reduced to “inactivity”, centered on humans, and neglects lived experiences. RESTinHEAT addresses these gaps by foregrounding rest and introducing a multispecies perspective into climate-responsive urban design. The project has four objectives: (1) to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of outdoor rest and vernacular cooling practices in overheated POS; (2) to examine municipal responses to heat; (3) to co-create knowledge of rest in heat; and (4) to translate findings into multilingual urban design and policy recommendations for inclusive, climate-sensitive POS. Comparative research in Barcelona, Diyarbakir, and Melbourne will apply Urban Diaries (with visual ethnography, structured observation, and behaviour mapping), Participatory Photo Mapping, policy review, expert interviews, and spatial analysis. Working across diverse yet similarly heat-vulnerable contexts, the project will generate evidence on rest, cooling practices, and institutional responses, yielding actionable guidance for inclusive public space design. The fellowship is hosted by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (return phase) and Monash University (outgoing phase), with a secondment at the University of the Sunshine Coast and a short visit to Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality. RESTinHEAT will deliver peer-reviewed publications and transferable policy outputs, strengthen the fellow’s methodological and interdisciplinary skills, foster cross-sectoral collaboration, and build capacity to bridge academia, policy, and practice to respond to urgent challenges of heat extremes, rest, equity, and resilience in cities, informing future urban strategies.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
08018 BARCELONA
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.