Cool Spaces

When temperatures rise, finding a cool place can make a real difference to well-being and health. The City of Lugano’s Cool Spaces map helps you find parks, public facilities, swimming pools and other places where you can cool down during periods of extreme heat.

These places are the city’s islands of coolness: public spaces where you can find relief on the hottest days. The network is constantly evolving and will be gradually expanded thanks to the collaboration of municipal services, project partners and residents.

Help us improve the map

Do you know of a particularly cool place that could be added to the City’s network?

You can suggest it directly using the dedicated form.

Suggestions are welcome from residents as well as businesses, organisations, associations and venue managers who would like to make a particularly suitable place available to the community during the hottest days.

Suggest a Cool Space

What are their characteristics?

The Cool Spaces featured on the map are places that offer more favourable conditions during periods of extreme heat. They can be outdoor spaces, such as shaded parks and green areas, or indoor spaces, such as air-conditioned public buildings, museums or other facilities accessible to the public.

The aim is not to create new infrastructure, but to make better use of existing places and ensure they can be easily found when needed. This approach has already been adopted by numerous European cities, including Barcelona, Valencia and Vienna, which have developed dedicated networks to help people cope with heatwaves.

The photo shows the Aureola misting installation at Parco del Vecchio Torchio in Viganello.

The three golden rules during heatwaves

During periods of extreme heat, it is important to take a few simple precautions to protect your health.

Avoid physical exertion: take it easy, especially during the hottest part of the day, and stay in the shade. Consume salty foods and beverages after sweating. Cover your skin with clothing and apply sunscreen regularly when you are outside.

Keep the heat away, cool your body: close the windows during the day and keep the sun out, open them at night and early in the morning. Cool your body with cool showers, cold cloths on your forehead and neck, and cold foot and hand baths. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing made of natural materials.

Drink plenty, eat light, adjust medication: drink regularly (at least 1.5 liters per day) and avoid sweetened and alcoholic beverages. Eat fruits and vegetables with high water content, and avoid fatty and hard-to-digest foods. Consult a specialist about your diet. Discuss your medication dosage with a specialist.

Who is most at risk?

People with the following risk factors are particularly vulnerable on hot days. If several factors apply, the risk increases:

• Older age, especially over 75
• Young age, infants and babies
• Pregnancy
• Acute and/or chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, lung and respiratory diseases, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, neurological and mental illnesses, addictions
• Medication, especially diuretics, blood pressure medication or psychotropic drugs
• Living alone and/or in need of assistance/care
• Low socioeconomic resources, e.g., in terms of education, finances, living situation
• Strenuous physical activities

Furthermore: you should also protect yourself against hot weather when at work, whether inside or outside. The following links contain information (in French, German and Italian) from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO and SUVA.

An evolving project

The Cool Spaces network is being developed by the City of Lugano as part of its initiatives to adapt to climate change and improve quality of life in the area.

Over the coming months, the map will be gradually expanded and enhanced with new locations, additional information and, thanks to the collaboration with Aziende Industriali di Lugano (AIL), real-time environmental data collected by sensors installed at selected locations across the network.