Barcelona, Spain
#00185
Case study of
#00189 Designate a free climate-shelter network in existing public buildings
Implementer
Barcelona City Council (Ajuntament de Barcelona); school conversions under EU project GBG_AS2C
Timeline
Since Jan 1, 2020
Location
Description
Barcelona designated existing public buildings (libraries, schools, museums, civic centers, parks facilities, and pharmacies) as free climate shelters kept at or below 26 C, with drinking water and accessibility standards. The network grew from 70 sites in 2020 to 368 in 2024 and over 500 by 2026, covering 98 percent of residents within a 10-minute walk. An EU-funded component (project GBG_AS2C, 3.99 million EUR ERDF) converted 11 schools into shelters, including approximately 3,000 square meters of depaving. Despite high spatial coverage, a 2023 survey found only about one third of residents knew the network existed, and many shelters are closed on weekends and in August — precisely when heat peaks. Migrants and marginalized groups face additional barriers to use.
Metrics
4Funding
Lessons learned
- Spatial coverage is the easy half: repurposing existing buildings reached 500+ sites and 98% resident proximity, but a 2023 survey found only ~1/3 of residents knew the network existed — awareness campaigns must be budgeted and tracked separately.
- Opening hours must track the hazard: shelters closed on weekends and in August fail exactly when heat peaks; operating schedules need to be locked to heat-event calendars, not standard institutional hours.
- Access standards on paper do not remove social barriers; migrants and marginalized groups require targeted outreach and welcoming protocols beyond simply unlocking doors.
- The ERDF grant covered only the 11-school conversion component (3.99M EUR); basic designation of existing buildings costs far less — replicators should separate the designation budget from any physical retrofit budget.
Sources
3Documented Jul 24, 2026