Thirty-Seven Sites

Luxembourg City has a plan for the heat. On Wednesday, the capital unveiled its greening concept: 37 sites across the city targeted for transformation over the next five to ten years, designed to prepare for warmer temperatures and heavier rainfall.[1]

The seven most urgent projects have been ranked. Among them: greening administrative buildings on the Rocade of Bonnevoie, greening the wall along the road near the footbridge, and fitting out the square near Bonnevoie church with benches and leisure infrastructure during a trial phase from mid-July to mid-September.[1]

Heat islands and cool air

The analysis that produced the plan was not superficial. Pierre Schmitt, environmental officer at the City of Luxembourg, said the city fed a range of factors into its assessment: the density of the tree canopy, the green-space register, urban areas that still generate cool air, and the city's heat islands.[1]

The plan also addresses another consequence of climate change: increasingly heavy rain. The greening concept is designed to help intercept downpours before they reach ground level, reducing flash flood risk in dense urban areas.[1]

Leading by example

First Alderman Maurice Bauer said the city wants to send the right message and lead by example, which is why the administrative building on the Rocade is itself being greened. Mayor Lydie Polfer described the concept as a framework programme that will keep being adjusted over its five-to-ten-year horizon.[1]

The toolbox includes unsealing surfaces, planting more trees, creating shade, and putting a flood policy in place. Each of the 37 sites will receive measures tailored to its specific conditions.[1]

Subsidies for residents

The city already offers support for roof greening. Now it wants to go further. In September, the municipal council will receive a proposal to help residents with advice and additional subsidies for greening their own land and property. The idea is to align with the aid the state already offers and add a further 50% on top, to show that residents are part of the effort.[1]

The limits of greening

Not every square is getting greener. Place Guillaume II, the Glacis, and Place de Paris are excluded. Some cannot be reworked because of parking or tram infrastructure. Others are needed for events like the Schueberfouer or City Sounds festival. The city has already been distributing free water at these locations during heat events.[1]

The mayor also wants to encourage residents to take better care of themselves and their families during heatwaves, a recognition that infrastructure alone cannot solve the problem if people do not adapt their behaviour.

Thirty-seven sites is a start. For a city that has seen repeated heat alerts and temperature records this summer, it is a belated but welcome acknowledgment that the urban environment needs to change to match the climate it now inhabits.