Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

The arrival of the hot weather brings the activation of city spaces and facilities that act as climate shelters to help people beat the heat and find comfortable temperatures. There are 353 shelters this year, 120 more than last year. New spaces include some municipal markets, spaces managed by other administrations and some private premises.

Some 98% of people in Barcelona have a climate shelter within 10 minutes of their home and 68% have one within 5 minutes. Municipal facilities acting as climate shelters include indoors spaces such as libraries, community centres and museums, while outdoor spaces include parks, gardens, school playgrounds, nursery playgrounds and inner quadrangles between residential blocks.

The shelters are recommended for people who are vulnerable to the heat, babies, elderly people and those with chronic illnesses, as long as they don’t need medical attention. The shelters offer safe places with good accessibility, rest areas, water and shade. Admission is free, with the exception of the municipal swimming pools in the city that will become climate shelters, where fixed prices apply.

Opening times can be found on the climate shelter website, which also has a map for people to locate their nearest shelters.

Social support against high temperatures

The Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre (CUESB) will be acting as a prominent social care facility if the rise in temperatures prompts the activation of the preventive alert protocol for heatwaves, if daytime temperatures rise above 33.7 degrees or when the minimum temperature at night is above 25.9 degrees. This also applies in the emergency stage, if the maximum temperature exceeds 35.7 degrees or the minimum rises above 27.9 degrees.

The CUESB will be offering a waiting room with comfortable temperatures and a supply of water for vulnerable people. If necessary, the centre will also offer overnight stays for those who are particularly frail.