COOLSCHOOLS is a transdisciplinary applied urban research project that examines the transformative potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to support the creation of climate shelters in European school environments. We assess how nature-based climate shelters can drive social-ecological transformations towards urban sustainability, climate resilience, social justice, and quality education at multiple urban scales (from schools to metropolitan region) and translate them into practical building capacity for school communities and beyond. Building on pioneering pilot NBS projects of school transformation in Barcelona, Brussels, Paris, and Rotterdam, COOLSCHOOLS unravels the specificities of each context and finds common patterns related to climate shelters transformation capacities, focusing on marginalized groups. Through participatory and co-creation methodologies, we propose an interdisciplinary approach that combines natural, bio-medical, social, and education sciences. To further promote a holistic approach to school climate shelters transformation capacities, we will actively disseminate the pilots’ best practice and key learnings among city governments, urban planners, companies, school communities and other relevant stakeholders. The consortium’s cross-sectoral composition ensures active multi-stakeholder involvement through an urban living lab and other co-engagement actions, that are planned to boost reflection and learning, and the wider use of COOLSCHOOLS outputs.

Project results summary (tentative)

Aim and purpose related to the project and to the call

COOLSCHOOLS conducts in-depth research to generate key insights and perspectives on the co-benefits of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation in school environments. The project focuses on aspects such as accessibility and equity, urban biodiversity conservation, well-being and health, safety, socio-cultural dynamics, environmental governance, and sustainability education.
COOLSCHOOLS supports JPI Urban Europe’s mission to advance transnational research and innovation for sustainable urban transitions. The project brings together a consortium of research institutions, municipal authorities, civil society organizations, and European and international networks to generate robust data on the co-benefits of nature-based, climate-adapted schoolyards and wider school environments. By building on pioneering pilot projects—Project Oasis in Paris, Climate Shelters in Barcelona, Ose le Vert and Opération Ré-création in Brussels, and Groenblauwe Schoolpleinen in Rotterdam—COOLSCHOOLS aligns with the priorities and needs of European urban authorities in adapting schools to climate change. In collaboration with the Ministries of Education Representatives STEM Working Group, the project addresses key European education policies on science and sustainability, fostering transnational and transdisciplinary cooperation. It enhances capacities, facilitates co-creation in its case study cities, and ensures that NbS interventions in and around schools promote urban climate resilience, equitable accessibility (especially for children), and educational opportunities into the schools’ pedagogical approaches.

Methods used and experiences that you would like to highlight

COOLSCHOOLS fosters engagement in both research and practice through a range of participatory activities. These include collaborative workshops with students, teachers, parents, municipal technicians, and experts to envision more inclusive co-management of nature-based climate school shelters (e.g., a video on the scenario-building process). Additionally, the project conducted participatory mapping of how primary school children use nature-based school environments based on parents, guardians and teachers’ responses. COOLSCHOOLS leveraged relevant platforms such as Scientix TV and offers a MOOC to train teachers in implementing nature-based climate shelter interventions using a design-thinking approach. Furthermore, the project provided evidence-based support for policymaking through knowledge-sharing initiatives and multi-stakeholder workshops, such as a World Café session during the final conference in Brussels. The Urban Living Lab, developed in Brussels, served as an ideal testing ground for cross-sectoral co-creation, fostering learning cycles around school NbS programs (e.g., Opération Ré-création) while enhancing practical capacity building.

Experiences of working in the interdisciplinary project

COOLSCHOOLS was established as an interdisciplinary consortium integrating expertise from natural, biomedical, social, and education sciences. This approach facilitated the exchange of diverse knowledge and insights on the benefits and challenges of designing, implementing, maintaining, and upscaling nature-based climate school shelters. It also provided valuable guidance and support to schools and municipalities interested in adopting these initiatives. Over the past three years, the project has engaged 94 primary schools in Brussels, 16 in Paris, 65 in Barcelona, and 38 in Rotterdam, while also extending its reach to schools beyond the project consortium.

Overall tentative results that you would like to share to the public

School-related greenspace access and inequities:
-93 % of primary schools in Brussels, Barcelona, Paris and Rotterdam have less than 30% green and blue infrastructure (GBI) coverage within a 300m radius.
-In Brussels, children from wealthier families have significantly greater access to greener and healthier outdoor school environments, including greener schoolyards.
– An urban region-wide survey found that 40.5 % of schoolchildren in Brussels visit a public green space near their school after school hours, with 42.5% of them doing so at least once per week.
-Schoolchildren from disadvantaged families in Brussels tend to use public green spaces after school hours more frequently than those from higher-income families.

Biodiversity practices transformations in nature-based schoolyards:
-Schoolyard revegetation fosters biodiversity and human-nature interactions in cities.
-Effective NbS require governance shifts, cultural adaptation, and community effort.
-Green schoolyards enhance biodiversity and inspire life-focused teaching practices.

Health transformative capacities of nature-based climate school shelters:
-Preliminary descriptive results indicate that total behavioural problems are more prevalent in less green schools in Brussels.
-The extent of these differences varies based on the type of behavioural problem and the school’s socio-economic background.
-Analyses considering potential confounding and providing information on statistical significance of the observed differences, and those focusing on well-being and cognitive performance are ongoing.

Socio-Cultural transformation within nature-based school environments:
-A literature review shows that safety perception (among all populations, not only children) is connected to the legibility of space with higher legibility and less wild-looking spaces increasing safety perception. People tend to prefer NbS where they can see their surroundings and move freely.
– In Rotterdam`s green schoolyards, water elements and habitat for animals are represented least, indicating that these could invoke some form of reduced safety.
– The analysis particular safety concerns and potential sensitivities between children, teachers and parents is being done through a Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping method adapted to children through made it simpler (vocabulary), using visuals (concept cards), and avoiding group dynamics.

Governance transformations related to nature-based, climate adapted schoolyards:
-Effective and vigorous schoolyard governance rests on the extent to which the nature-based interventions are integrated into, or even transform, existing pedagogical philosophies and practices.
-The quality of stakeholders’ engagement is crucial from a justice and inclusion perspective.
– Allocating sufficient time for the design and development of green schoolyards can enhance their inclusivity and adaptability.
-A “catalogue approach” to schoolyards transformation might be useful from efficiency considerations, but if designed on the basis of squarely technical, financial and security-related considerations it might bar diversity, creativity and eventual participation.

Main publications so far

Baró, F., et al. 2022. Nature-Based Climate Solutions in European Schools: A Pioneering Co-designed Strategy Towards Urban Resilience. In Urban resilience to the climate emergency. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07301-4_6
Ruiz-Mallén, I. et al. 2023. Refugios climáticos escolares basados en la naturaleza: evaluación desde una perspectiva interdisciplinaria. In Ciutats enfront l’emergència climàtica. Institut Metropoli. P. 61-76. ISBN: 978-84-92940-54-7
Ruiz-Mallén, I., et al. 2023. Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in School Environments: An Interdisciplinary Assessment Framework. In: (p. 87-105) Allam, Z. (eds) Sustainable Urban Transitions. Urban Sustainability. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2695-4_6
Gallez, E. et al. 2024. A multi-indicator distributive justice approach to assess school-related green infrastructure benefits in Brussels, Ecosystem Services, 70, 101677 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2024.101677.
Gallez, E. et al. Nature-based school environments for all children? Comparing exposure to school-related green and blue infrastructure in four European cities, Ecological Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112374.
Sekulova, F., Ruiz Mallén, I. 2024. The governance configurations of green schoolyards, Environmental Science & Policy, 56, 103752, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103752