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Barcelona activates more than 500 climate refuges for this summer
Barcelona is preparing for summer with a network of more than 500 climate refuges spread across all districts. They are cool, free spaces open to the public to rest, hydrate or take a break when the heat becomes too intense in the street or at home.
Coverage now reaches almost the entire city. According to the City Council, 99.2% of residents have a climate shelter less than a 10-minute walk away, and 76.8% can reach one in under five minutes. The idea is that finding a cool place should not depend on the neighbourhood or on having air conditioning at home.
The network will be active during the hottest months, until September, and includes around a hundred more spaces than last year. The expansion seeks to respond to increasingly long summers, more frequent tropical nights and heat episodes that already shape daily life in Barcelona.
The shelters include libraries, civic centres, municipal facilities, sports facilities, museums, markets, shaded parks and other adapted spaces. In some cases, they offer a more pleasant indoor temperature; in others, shade, benches, nearby water or places to stop during a journey.
Access is free and does not require prior registration. This makes it possible to use them spontaneously: to wait between errands, take an older person to rest, take a break with children or avoid the harshest hours when working or walking around the city.
The measure is especially important for older people, children, people with chronic illnesses and residents who live in poorly insulated homes or homes without good ventilation. In a dense city, where asphalt and buildings retain heat, having a nearby shelter can make a difference during a heatwave.
The City Council reviews the network every year to expand spaces and strengthen neighbourhoods with greater climate vulnerability. It also relies on maps, signage and digital channels so that residents can locate the nearest shelter before leaving home or while travelling.
Climate shelters are already part of Barcelona's new summer. They do not eliminate the heat or replace the need for more shade and better homes, but they offer a practical response so that the city can keep functioning when temperatures rise: reading in a library, resting in a civic centre or simply finding a cool place a few minutes from home.