Keynote: Sustainable Cooling in Cities: Strategies for Urban Resilience

Amid increasing heatwave-induced mortality and extreme weather events in Europe, sustainable cooling strategies have become a critical component of urban resilience. This work presents a multi-scalar framework for planning, modeling, and implementing sustainable cooling interventions. It highlights nature-based solutions (NBS), such as urban trees, vegetated surfaces, and sponge city infrastructure, supported by advanced modeling tools like ENVI-met and Agisopht. Using Brussels as a case study, the presentation triangulates satellite imagery, drone-based thermal imaging, and field surveys to validate urban heat island (UHI) mitigation approaches. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating greenery indicators, participatory governance, and evidence-based design to support heat-resilient urban transformations.