Natuur & Milieu calls on government to use greenery as a heat shield

Summer is not over yet, but one thing is clear: extreme heat is no longer an exception. We have experienced it time and again over the past few months. Hot streets, homes that struggle to cool down and neighbourhoods where shade is hard to find. Especially in neighbourhoods with a lot of paving and little greenery, heat lingers. Here, the perceived temperature can rise to as much as 45°C. Too hot to exercise outdoors, work, meet others, relax or play.

The 26th Premio La Città per il Verde (The Green City) produced many interesting projects.

The award, which is divided into four categories: Urban Greenery, Greenery Maintenance, Best Volunteer Initiative for the Management of Urban Green Spaces and The Resilient City, stands out as a national Italian recognition for policies aimed at the valorisation, management and development of urban greenery and landscape. The theme of the 2026 edition focuses on green spaces as strategic infrastructure for quality of life, biodiversity and adaptation to climate change. The award ceremony took place on 20 February at the Myplant & Garden, a trade fair for ornamental horticulture, gardening and landscape architecture.