Quantifying the vulnerability of cultural heritage to climate change is essential, particularly in understanding how facade degradation processes will evolve over the coming century. Will risks diminish or intensify? Addressing this question is critical for guiding future renovation strategies. One approach to quantitative assessment involves hygrothermal simulations of the building envelope using building physics models. However, this method first requires a deeper understanding of historical materials and the mechanisms driving their deterioration.

In this context, dose-response functions provide valuable insights by identifying key degradation processes linked to climatic factors and offering qualitative projections of future risks. This study analyzes the evolution of key degradation indices related to freeze-thaw and salt crystallization exposures at the daily time scale across Belgium.

Given the variability in climate model projections, we employ the Euro-CORDEX ensemble of regional climate models (RCMs) to assess the impact of model uncertainty on degradation indices. To account for potential biases, each simulation was bias-corrected using a high-resolution (5 km) gridded dataset developed at RMI. Recognizing that bias correction introduces its own uncertainties, we compared two correction techniques—univariate (ISIMIP3BA) and multivariate (MBCn)—to evaluate their effects. In this presentation, I will reveal how degradation risks shift in a +2°C and +3°C warming scenario, offering insights into the future resilience of our built heritage.

While primarily developed to assess future building degradation risks in Belgium, this new dataset will also provide indicators for energy consumption and thermal comfort. Ultimately, the atlas will incorporate over 20 indices, alongside bias-corrected daily time series for key climate variables, including near-surface temperature (mean/minimum/maximum), relative humidity and wind speed, surface pressure, precipitation and shortwave radiation.

How to cite: Marchi, S., Caluwaerts, S., Hamdi, R., and Van Schaeybroeck, B.: High-Resolution Bias-Corrected Euro-CORDEX Dataset for Assessing Climate Change Risks to Building Heritage in Belgium, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-443, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-443, 2025.

Urban environments are subjected to various climate stressors, e.g. elevated temperatures and air pollutions levels, impacting public health and city resilience. As a result, historical buildings, crucial components of urban environments, experience accelerated degradation and sustainability challenges. To mitigate the urban environment, cities are increasingly implementing nature-based solutions (NbS), such as ground-based green façades, well-known for its small footprint while covering large areas with vegetation. Despite the proven benefits of green façades, their implementation on historical buildings, often located in dense city centres, is limited due to concerns about their impact on material durability and structural integrity, which is currently poorly understood.  

Our research investigates how green façades affect the degradation processes of historic building materials, unlocking the co-benefits of greening built heritage for both urban environment and heritage conservation. Therefore, we analyse the interaction of green façades with stone-built heritage in both outdoor and controlled environments to better understand the compatibility of green façades with historic building materials.

The findings highlight the potential of green façades to reduce the risk of common degradation processes affecting built heritage. By reducing incoming solar irradiation and moisture accumulation on wall surfaces, green façades can lower the risk on biodeterioration. The presence of green façades also lowers the maximum surface temperatures by providing shade and tempers relative humidity fluctuations, thereby reducing the likelihood of salt crystallisation. Evergreen vegetation enhances resistance to freeze-thaw cycles by maintaining higher minimum surface temperatures through thermal blanketing and reducing moisture accumulation on wall surfaces.

This research offers valuable insights in the behaviour of green façades on built heritage, exploring the potential of green façades as a preventive conservation strategy for stone-built heritage. A deeper understanding of this interaction can support the implementation of green façades in urban environments, contributing to mitigate climate stressors while ensuring  the resilience of stone-built heritage.

How to cite: De Groeve, M., Kale, E., Orr, S. A., and De Kock, T.: Implications of green façades on historic building materials, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-726, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-726, 2025.

Vertical Greening Systems (VGS) offer both advantages and challenges when integrated into built heritage properties for urban sustainability and preservation purposes. VGS can provide environmental benefits by reducing surface temperatures, improving air quality, and supporting biodiversity. Additionally, they can enhance community engagement and foster a sense of identity within a place. However, their integration into historic buildings raises concerns, particularly because climbing plants can attach themselves to walls and cause issues such as bio-colonization and mold formation. Beyond environmental impacts, VGS also influence cultural perception, social engagement, and economic feasibility, making their implementation a multi-dimensional issue.

This study addresses these concerns and benefits by exploring expert perspectives on the implementation of VGS in historic buildings, focusing on various factors, including environmental, cultural, social, economic, legal, and technical aspects. The research combines insights from a literature review with survey data collected from 83 experts in VGS and heritage conservation globally. Both open-ended and closed-ended responses were analyzed to identify variations in expert opinions.

The findings reveal a general recognition of the environmental benefits of VGS; however, significant technical and cultural concerns are still perceived as obstacles to widespread adoption. The results highlight the need for increased awareness and structured information for stakeholders to promote the advantages of VGS while addressing the challenges associated with historic architecture.

How to cite: Kale, E., De Groeve, M., Erkan, Y., and De Kock, T.: Survey Results and Experts’ Opinions on Integrating Vertical Greening Systems into Historic Buildings, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-719, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-719, 2025.

Our research aims to explore how the revitalisation of historic blue infrastructures of socio-cultural significance can act as effective climate mitigation strategies in the hot-desert city of Jodhpur, India. Specifically, we are seeking to quantify the contribution of historic stepwells to microclimate moderation and local heat resilience. At the same time, we have been examining the social ecosystem of stepwells - local communities' engagement with them historically and today, and forms of localised water governance – to understand the significance of environmental factors for everyday life.

Research methods have included a thermal comfort survey involving 300 local residents and tourists, alongside simultaneous microclimate measurements (including air temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH), globe temperature (GT), and wind speed (WS) of one prominent stepwell. Participants commented on their perceptions of RH, solar radiation (SD), WS, and dust conditions, while researchers simultaneously recorded skin-wetness and clothing. Research has also involved ethnographic methods to understand the social life of the stepwells today.

Initial results indicate that stepwells are effective in heat mitigation - most survey respondents described their experience around the stepwells as "enjoyable and pleasant." As they descended into the stepwell, typically, their perceptions of heat, shade, and thermal comfort altered favourably while becoming less positive as they moved away. A range of activities characterise the stepwell’s social use highlighting clear interdependencies between thermal conditions, cultural practices, water and architecture. Ongoing research is involving detailed data analysis and the development of regression models and structural equation models to establish causal relationships between objective environmental conditions and individuals' subjective thermal and socio-cultural perceptions.

Overall, this research is generating valuable insights into how conserving the tangible-built heritage can inform climate change mitigation and governance policies. These findings will be useful at both local and global levels, promoting sustainability from both environmental and socio-cultural perspectives.

How to cite: Sharmin, T., Banerjee, S., Basavapatna Kumaraswamy, S., Pezzica, C., Davis, J., and Tayyibji, R.: Impact of Historic Stepwells on Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1020, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1020, 2025.

The threat caused by climate change to cultural heritage have become more evident in urban environments also in Northern European areas. The increase of precipitation and the impact of the freeze-thaw effect are continuously causing a strain on the built environment, including both buildings and also other structures in the vicinity of these buildings. Several European countries have developed planning systems in the period after the second World War to support the preservation of cultural heritage, although currently the focus in climate change adaptation seems to lay more on stormwater management in cities. In our earlier research, targeted at urban planners and heritage experts, we inquired about the degree to which climate change impacts are currently taken into account in planning practices involving cultural heritage. Existing urban planning seems to concentrate more on methods for adaptation and disaster management, rather than on integration with cultural heritage as an essential element. Cooperation between local museum and antiquities experts and urban planners is essential, but not enough to cover the gaps between the integration of planning and the preservation of the historical built environment. The preservation of cultural heritage is closely linked to the knowledge and traditions of maintaining and restoring existing buildings and neighbourhoods, serving also circular economy principles in cities. The combination of climate change impact on traditional structures and surfaces together with the lack of suitable maintenance are causing complexed problems to the environment, which might be sometimes difficult to comprehend both by experts and local citizens. The cultural values of communities also have a major impact on the preservation policies for the future, and this is relevant to authorities, politicians, community members and other stakeholders. 

How to cite: Aarrevaara, E. and Carroll, P.: Urban communities facing the challenges of climate change adaptation and heritage preservation, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-732, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-732, 2025.

This abstract constitutes a doctoral thesis, entitled "Climate Adaptation of Architectural Cultural Assets in Transition: Analysis of Past and Present Strategies with Regard to Climatic Impacts", which has been conducted since 2023 at the Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg in the Professorship on Materials and Preservation Science. The research addresses a gap in the understanding of how historical buildings have adapted to climatic influences and examines their potential for modification in response to contemporary climate change. The present study provides a comprehensive overview of historic and current adaptation strategies and assesses their applicability in the German context.

The theoretical framework is complemented by a practical investigation of eight buildings in two open-air museums in Glentleiten and Bad Windsheim, southern Germany. A combination of building history analysis and practical measurements is employed to document the current structural and climatic conditions of the buildings. The methodology includes detailed building surveys utilizing non-destructive preservation techniques such as manual mapping, thermographic analysis, and climate monitoring.

Additionally, two methodological approaches are currently under development: firstly, an expert questionnaire will be designed to record how museum institutions manage the effects of climate change and secondly, a standardized documentation tool for recording climate-induced damage and corresponding protective measures.

The principal aim of this dissertation is to establish a comprehension understanding of the complex interplay between climate change and historical architecture. The insights gained are expected to enhance existing conservation strategies and inform the development of practical, sustainable solutions for managing built heritage in the face of climate change.

How to cite: Prell, F.: Weathered & Future-Proof: Climate Adaptation in Historic Architecture, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-907, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-907, 2025.

Cultural landscapes are shaped by both natural and human factors and hold cultural significance for the communities that inhabit them. The RescueME project is creating a Resilient Cultural Landscape approach, which integrates past knowledge to shape the future by linking culture with nature and community through a socioecological perspective. The objective is to develop, test, and demonstrate the effectiveness of an actionable framework based on this approach, complemented by data, models, methods, and tools to protect European cultural landscapes from the climate change and other stressors.

RescueME boosts cultural landscape resilience with participatory, simulation-based, and indicator-based methods. It aids communities in tackling immediate issues through incremental actions and long-term changes through transformative strategies, combining Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation. A serious gaming approach complemented by a decision support system will facilitate resilience strategy co-development and co-evaluation, leveraging gamification elements and advanced technologies – like AR applications and AI-based data analyses – to engage stakeholders and raise awareness about resilience in cultural landscapes. Everything will be co-created in 5 Resilient Landscapes Laboratories (R-Labs), ensuring that local conditions, available technologies, and the needs of end-users drive the development and implementation of resilience strategies. This approach seeks to protect cultural landscapes while supporting the transition toward a green society and economy. RescueME calls for broadening the scope, triggering action, mobilizing resources, engaging actors, and facilitating decision-making and implementation of co-created, just resilience solutions.

This contribution will introduce the project and its outputs, highlighting their application and impact at the R-Labs.

How to cite: Egusquiza, A.: Community-based and data-driven resilience strategies for coastal cultural landscapes: The RescueME project., 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-840, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-840, 2025.

Historic towns, districts, and cultural landscapes are integral to the fabric of urban and rural territories, offering vital social and economic functions. The detrimental effects of climate change on these historic areas extend beyond material damage, leading to the irreplaceable loss of intangible cultural values. To safeguard these treasures for future generations, it is essential to develop resilience management tools and methods that address the unique needs of heritage management.

The H2020 project ARCH (Advancing Resilience of Historic Areas against Climate-related and other Hazards) has pioneered a resilience tool suite tailored for historic areas, in collaboration with the cities of Bratislava (Slovakia), Camerino (Italy), Hamburg (Germany), and Valencia (Spain). This toolkit is built upon a resilience framework that integrates climate change adaptation and disaster risk management with heritage management requirements. Key components of the tool suite include:

• A geo-information system for analyzing hazards affecting historic areas
• A mixed-method risk analysis approach
• An inventory of resilience measures and a pathway visualization tool
• A resilience assessment dashboard

In addition to the collaborative efforts with the four pilot cities, the ARCH project has validated its tools and methods through a Mutual Learning Framework involving 12 additional European cities. Via the EU R&I Task Force for Climate Neutral and Resilient Historic Urban Districts, founded by ARCH and it’s sibling projects SHELTER and HYPERION, additional European stakeholders from policy, research and practice provided insights for the development of the tools and methods.

This contribution introduces the resilience tool suite and shares insights from the co-creation process, underscoring the critical needs of historic areas for resilience management and identifying avenues for further research.

How to cite: Lückerath, D.: A Resilience Tool Suite for Historic Areas: Experiences from the ARCH project, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-152, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-152, 2025.

Heritage protection and refurbishment is very important for many cities across the world. Valparaíso, Chile, is a city with an important UNESCO protected area, that include many buildings declared national monument and a larger urban area denominated as "typical zone" for Valparaíso historical development among XVI and XX Century. In such area, Astoreca building locates, facing the Echaurren square and Serrano Street, and constituting a very significant building to be refurbished. On the other hand, Valparaíso metropolitan region, and the city center in particular, are suffering an increase in urban heat production and are getting more and more vulnerable to heat waves, a phenomenon that is increasing in all the central Chile, where the city locates. To be consistent with heritage protection and responsible with urban climate change management, new refurbishment methods should be investigated and applied. Bioclimatic architecture concepts can contribute to both heritage protection and urban climate control. Some specific strategy that can be applied are: ventilation patios and openings of building, green roofs, water management (e.g. for irrigation of squares around the building and provide evaporative cooling). This presentation shows the research work developed by the students of the local Master Course in “Sustainable Architecture Refurbishment” by using Envi-Met simulations to sustain projected interventions on the building, assuring increase in both indoor and outdoor comfort. The project was developed in the bigger framework of building retrofit and valorization as an heritage example of Chilean architecture of the beginning of XX Century.

How to cite: Palme, M., Bustamante, V., Hernández, E., Méndez, J., Tapia, C., and Vanegas, I.: Urban climate and heritage buildings refubrishment: a case of study in the UNESCO protected area of Valparaíso, Chile, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-231, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-231, 2025.

This paper presents the results of two research projects (led by the author) on the surviving public baths in the world heritage cities of North Africa, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in the UK. (see ECO-HAMMAM – Share the resources, save the planet!)

The paper examines the ecological transitions that can be applied in the rehabilitation of this cultural heritage in the context water scarcity and global warming in North Africa, as triggered by climate change.  Lessons of sustainability embedded in this affordable key heritage public facility for hygiene and wellbeing are carefully examined to counteract the claims made at the COP 22 (held in Marrakech, Morocco), labelling these centuries old heritage facilities as a source of urban pollution and excessive water usage, leading to technical solutions that are not only difficult to implement but also unaffordable.

The paper contextualises the discourse by engaging a wide variety of stakeholders and members of the public to deconstruct the various arguments put forward and provide evidence of how hasted conclusions triggered solely by and an environmental agenda can miss opportunities to learn from the past to inform and innovate future practices that are not only environmentally sustainable but also socially, culturally and economically too.

How to cite: Sibley, M.: Public Baths in North African World Heritage Cities: Challenges or missed Opportunities for Historic Cities’ Urban Resilience in the Context of Climate Change? , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1118, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1118, 2025.