From Lille Metropole to Barcelona (AMB), Dresden and Middelburg: Sharing time-based solutions for cooler cities
How can cities stay liveable in the face of hotter summers? This is the question at the heart of Time2Adapt, a European project led by the Metropole of Lille. By using an unusual lever — time — the project is testing new ways to support the most vulnerable residents during heatwaves, from opening shaded schoolyards in summer to extending the network of indoor shelters, for instance by widening access to libraries or museums.
But the Metropole of Lille and its local partners are not alone on this journey. Three partner urban authorities— Dresden (Germany), Middelburg (Netherlands) and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (Spain) — have joined forces in a transfer partnership to explore how these ideas can travel and take root across Europe.
Garden of the Lille Library Jean Lévy
The first steps have already been taken. In August 2024, Lille Metropole welcomed its partners for an opening visit, giving them a first taste of the project’s local experimentations. Less than a year later, in June 2025, it was Barcelona’s turn to host (AMB). There, partners discovered the city’s extensive network of outdoor climate shelters and shared inspiring reflections on how metropolitan areas can also reinvent indoor public space in the face of heatwaves.
These site visits are only the beginning. As the project moves forward, more exchanges and opportunities for cooperation will take shape, with each city bringing its own local challenges, creativity and solutions to the table.
One of the first fruits of this collaboration is the ID Card of the project designed by transfer expert Amaia Celaya Álvarez. Her work offers a common framework to guide the four partners in their transfer journey, ensuring that the lessons learned in Lille are adapted to local realities — and that every city contributes to a shared pool of knowledge.
Visit to Barcelona, credits to Espai Públic AMB
By weaving together local experimentation and international cooperation, Time2Adapt is showing how European cities can stand stronger together in the face of climate change: one season, one exchange, one partnership at a time.