Cool Noons

On 29 and 30 June, we lived through the closing days of the Cool Noons project between Imola and Bologna, right as Europe faced a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures reaching up to 41°C in several countries. A very real reminder of just how urgent the topic at the heart of the project is.

In Imola, we talked about climate adaptation, urban heat islands and urban greening, sharing the simple yet concrete solutions carried out over these three years: drinking fountains, trees and green walls to create shade, benches in cool spots, and the Cool Paths — routes designed to help people discover cities safely, even during the hottest hours.

Not just theory: in the afternoon, we took to the streets with a guided walk through Imola's city centre. 🚶‍♀️☀️

The following day, in Bologna, the final Steering Committee symbolically closed a three-year journey, carried out by 9 partners across 6 European countries.

📍 Read the full article on the website: https://coolnoons.interreg-euro-med.eu/2026/07/02/cool-noons-final-event-imola-29-30-june-2026/
AVITEM Ville de Marseille Città metropolitana di Bologna Imola Faenza Tourism Company Câmara Municipal de Lisboa Dubrovačka razvojna agencija DURA / Dubrovnik Development Agency Nuovo Circondario Imolese Grad Dubrovnik Interreg Euro-MED Programme Opština Budva

🎉 The moment has come: on June 29, Imola hosts the Cool Noons final event!
A day dedicated to sustainable tourism and urban heat adaptation in the Mediterranean, featuring roundtables with European experts, the international photography exhibition "Urban Heat" and a guided Cool Noons Path walk through the historic city centre.

Three years of shared work across five pilot cities (Imola, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Budva and Marseille) celebrated in one event.

📍 Imola, Council Chamber | June 29, 2026, 10:00–17:00
👉 https://coolnoons.interreg-euro-med.eu/events/cool-noons-final-event/


Città metropolitana di Bologna Nuovo Circondario Imolese Imola Faenza Tourism Company Interreg Euro-MED Programme

On June 18th, in Barcelona, Cool Noons took part in the III Mediterranean Convention for Sustainable Tourism.

Marianne Martin from AVITEM shared how five Mediterranean cities (Dubrovnik, Marseille, Imola, Lisbon and Budva) are testing concrete solutions against extreme heat: the Cool Noons Path.

Routes connecting parks, shaded streets, fountains and climate refuges, designed for residents and visitors alike. Small actions, big impact.
🌿 A methodology ready to be replicated across the Mediterranean.
👉 Find out more at https://coolnoons.interreg-euro-med.eu/2026/06/22/3-mediterranean-convention-for-sustainable-tourism/

We joined the Portugal Smart Cities Summit in Lisbon, one of Europe's most important gatherings dedicated to urban innovation, where cities, businesses, universities and institutions come together to shape the future of our territories.
The perfect stage for Cool Noons: because rethinking cities during the hottest hours of the day is exactly this: innovation, sustainability and quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
👉 Find out more: coolnoons.interreg-euro-med.eu
AVITEM Câmara Municipal de Lisboa Interreg Euro-MED Programme

The Cool Noons project is featured in GRtraveller, the Greek travel magazine.
On page 80, discover how the European project Cool Noons is rethinking the way we experience and explore Mediterranean cities during the hottest hours of the day, turning the heat into an opportunity to find cooler, more sustainable and authentic routes.
👉 Read the full article: https://grtraveller.gr/teuxos/grtraveller-itb-2026/



AVITEM Ville de Marseille Città metropolitana di Bologna Imola Faenza Tourism Company Câmara Municipal de Lisboa Dubrovačka razvojna agencija DURA / Dubrovnik Development Agency Nuovo Circondario Imolese Grad Dubrovnik Interreg Euro-MED Programme Opština Budva

On Friday 17 April, the University of Coimbra hosted a Cool Noons seminar for Master's and PhD students.
Participants applied the Cool Noons methodology to their city, identifying the outdoor tourist attractions most exposed to heat and brainstorming possible solutions. Three working groups, many innovative ideas: sun sails with misters, urban reforestation and fountain water reuse, all while considering tourists, locals, municipal bureaucracy and UNESCO requirements.
Positive feedback from both professors and students. Definitely another step forward to the dissemination of the results and methodology of Cool Noons.
Where is Cool Noons moving next?



AVITEM Interreg Euro-MED Programme

📸 The Cool Noons Photo Competition exhibition has arrived in Lisbon.
From April 18th to May 18th, the Centro de Interpretação de Monsanto is hosting a selection of shots from the five pilot cities of the project, dedicated to the theme of urban heat in Mediterranean cities.
👉 Find out more: https://coolnoons.interreg-euro-med.eu/winners-online-picture-competition/


AVITEM Câmara Municipal de Lisboa Interreg Euro-MED Programme

📸 1st place – winner
Beatrice Canè – Giorno 41
In Imola, heat empties spaces and reshapes the city.
An image that portrays absence as a form of presence and the new balances of urban life.

📸 2nd place
Lalitâ-Kamalâ Valenta – Grey Suns 01 e Gray Suns 02
A glimpse of everyday life in Marseille under constant heat.
Two images that speak about adaptation, relationships, and the shared use of urban space.

We're sharing photos from the opening of the photo exhibition in Dubrovnik.
On April 10th, the TUP Gallery hosted the opening of the Cool Noons Photo Competition exhibition. Around twenty shots from the five pilot cities of the project (Marseille, Lisbon, Imola, Budva and Dubrovnik) capture how people live and cope with urban heat in Mediterranean cities.
The exhibition is open until April 24th. Free entry.
👉 Find out more: https://coolnoons.interreg-euro-med.eu/winners-online-picture-competition/
Dubrovačka razvojna agencija DURA / Dubrovnik Development Agency Interreg Euro-MED Programme