A new publication has been produced by the Coolschools team, available in English and Spanish!
This policy document presents key research insights and policy recommendations for urban planners, policy-makers, architects and school staff on the design, implementation and maintenance of nature-based and climate-adaptive schoolyards. It is informed by research done throughout the COOLSCHOOLS project (March 2022-February 2025), assessing the multiple co-benefits of implementing nature-based solutions (NBS) for climate adaptation in school environments. COOLSCHOOLS explored the biodiversity impacts, equity implications, health and safety considerations, educational potentials and governance of municipal programs developing nature-based climate-adaptive school environments across the cities of Barcelona, Brussels, Paris and Rotterdam.
Its production stems from the recompilation of interviews, field work notes, literature reviews and project deliverables elaborated by COOLSCHOOLS partners, including universities and research centers, public administrations, local organizations, as well as European and international networks. The recommendations have been discussed and further elaborated by more than fifty experts in the field at the final project conference in the city of Brussels in January 2024.
In a nutshell, enhancing the social, health, educational, and justice-related benefits of nature-based climate-adaptive schoolyards requires the following core pillars:
1) Establish a holistic vision, grounded in sustainability values, for the co-creation of nature-based climate-adaptive schoolyards.
2) Embed nature-based schoolyards in public policies, programs, and plans as a cross-cutting issue.
3) Actively engage the school community in the preparation, implementation and maintenance of the nature-based climate-adaptive schoolyard.
4) Monitor and take care of the evolution of the nature-based climate-adaptive schoolyard.
Check it out!