Prague launches cooling map to help residents beat the heat
Longer and more intense heat waves are becoming a growing challenge for Prague, where the urban landscape traps heat long after sunset. City officials are responding with a range of adaptation measures, including an interactive map of cooling locations and plans to expand the network of public "cool zones."
As summers in Prague become hotter, the city is introducing new ways to help people cope with increasingly frequent heat waves. A new interactive online map brings together hundreds of places where residents and visitors can cool down, drink water or find relief from the heat. City officials say the project is only the beginning of a broader effort to make the Czech capital more resilient to rising temperatures.
One of the newest additions is a fountain in the lower part of Wenceslas Square. Its 16 water jets cool not only the surrounding air and pavement, but also pedestrians passing by. "It is a pleasant feature that helps people cool down during heat waves," says Jan Richter, a climate adaptation specialist at Prague City Hall.
The fountain is one of hundreds of locations now included in the city's online "cooling oasis" map. The interactive tool lists drinking fountains, misting stations, decorative fountains, public pumps, springs and other water sources across Prague.
According to Vladimír Antonín Bláha from the city-owned technology company Operátor ICT, the map is designed to help people quickly find the nearest place to cool off or refill a water bottle.
"At the moment you'll find drinking fountains, misting stations, fountains, public pumps, springs and natural water sources. You can also use the map to navigate directly to the nearest location," he explains.
The city plans to keep expanding the project. Future versions of the map should also include so-called cool zones and air-conditioned public buildings that could serve as shelters during periods of extreme heat.
"We would also like to add so-called cool zones — cooler places. In the future we can imagine including air-conditioned public spaces where people could cool down during the hottest days."
Cities stay hot long after sunset
The need for such measures is becoming increasingly urgent.
According to climate researcher Pavel Zahradníček from the Czech Academy of Sciences' Global Change Research Institute, central Prague is warming faster than much of the rest of the country. "It is the result of two effects reinforcing each other — climate change and the urban heat island effect," he says.
Unlike the surrounding countryside, cities remain much warmer overnight because buildings, roads and other hard surfaces slowly release the heat they accumulated during the day.
"After sunset, the surrounding landscape cools down, but the city centre does not. The difference can reach seven to ten degrees. Street canyons also limit air circulation, so the heat radiating from buildings cannot dissipate as easily as it does in the countryside."
Trees remain the city's best natural air conditioning
Alongside water features, Prague is also investing in greenery to reduce temperatures in the urban environment. Jan Richter says mature trees remain the most effective natural defence against extreme heat.
"A tree is the best natural air conditioning. We need as many large, mature and healthy trees in our streets as possible." The city is planting more climate-resilient trees, creating new tree-lined streets and encouraging green roofs and green façades. Officials acknowledge, however, that such measures often take years to deliver visible results.
The online cooling map is expected to continue growing as Prague works with individual city districts to add more cooling locations and, eventually, public indoor spaces where people can escape future heat waves.
