European cities are heating up, and children are being caught in the fire. Since 2000, the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have soared, with urban areas suffering the “heat island” effect: cities running significantly hotter than nearby rural zones (1). This has resulted in a staggering share of today’s urban youth facing extreme heat exposure. In fact, UNICEF reports that half of all children in Europe and Central Asia already experience 4-5 heatwaves per year (2). By 2050, even using conservative warming predictions, every European child will be routinely exposed to multiple heatwaves per summer (3). This urban heat burden is more than a simple inconvenience–it directly undermines children’s health, learning and well-being, with the burden falling particularly hard on low-income and migrant communities. Alleviating it will take creative problem-solving, targeted solutions and coordinated European effort: something that countries are not yet prepared for. This article explores a central question: how is rising urban heat reshaping the lives of Europe’s children—and what tools can help protect them?

Urban heat islands and child vulnerability

City heat islands arise when concrete, asphalt and rooftops absorb and radiate heat, while trees and grass are scarce. A recent study by the EU’s Joint Research Centre confirmed that city surface temperatures can be up to 10-15 degrees celsius higher than surrounding countryside (1). These hotspots create a highly dangerous situation for young children, who have physiologically weaker cooling systems than adults, making them far more sensitive to heat stress (2, 4). Very young children cannot sweat or regulate body temperature as efficiently, so they dehydrate and overheat more quickly. Even school-age children are more vulnerable: infants and toddlers absorb heat faster than adults, and must rely on adults noticing early warning signs of heat exhaustion (2).

EU adaptation observers note that as heatwaves rise in number, child heat illnesses already surge. Across Europe, hotter summers have driven up emergency admissions for dehydration, heatstroke, asthma and other conditions among the young. UNICEF reported that 377 children died of heat-related causes in Europe and Central Asia in 2021, and half of those were infants in their first year of life (5). Climate scientists also warn that heat exposure in pregnancy and early childhood can have lifelong effects: it is linked to pre-term birth, low birth weight, and developmental delays. In other words, urban heat is not only a short-term hazard but a chronic risk that is already hurting child development in Europe (2, 5).

Learning in the heat: educational impacts

The stress of extreme weather also hits young minds. In one multi-country poll, over 50% of young people reported feeling sad, anxious, powerless or angry about climate change, and about 30% said these feelings disrupted their daily life and school performance (2). While such eco-anxiety stems from global climate trends, it is likely magnified by local experiences: children who endure brutal summer heat or witness wildfires and floods firsthand often carry trauma. Psychiatric research confirms that adolescents exposed to higher temperatures show increased symptoms of depression and stress (2, 9).

High temperatures also risk affecting children’s brains and behavior in other ways, with huge implications for their education. A growing body of research shows that heat impairs cognition and school attendance. Studies find that even indoor temperatures above 30 degrees celsius significantly reduce children’s test scores, problem-solving and attention span (6). A U.S. study found that days of extreme heat exposure were associated with lower scores in reading, memory and reasoning tests (7).

On the attendance side, one analysis of over 22,000 schools in England found that unusually hot days caused spikes in absences (6). When temperatures rose, more students stayed home with heat-related illnesses, and even teachers took extra “authorized” breaks (6).

Unequal burdens on marginalized children

Crucially, these heat impacts are not shared evenly. In Europe, socioeconomic and demographic factors strongly determine heat vulnerability. Within cities, the hottest “pavement deserts” often coincide with poorer neighborhoods or informal settlements. For example, one global survey found that informal housing areas–areas defined by their dense, unregulated, and poorly insulated housing–become extreme heat hotspots (1). This is because low-income families and migrant or minority communities often live in neighborhoods with less green cover, narrow streets, and dense concrete – the very conditions that trap heat (1, 9). These households also frequently lack resources to adapt: many live in poorly ventilated or insulated apartments and cannot afford air conditioning (9). Additionally, underfunded, crowded schools without shade or air conditioning are likely to see their students suffer worse performance and more absences during heatwaves. The health ramifications are even more pressing: a heatwave in Madrid or Sofia may incapacitate dozens of children in a single classroom if no cooling is available (2).

In practice, this means heat exposure follows lines of inequality. This is not just chance: across Europe, wealthy districts receive more investment in parks and cooling infrastructure than poorer ones (10). This intersection of heat and inequality is a classic case of environmental injustice in European cities. Children of migrant or minority families, who may already face health disparities, language barriers or reduced social support, find those vulnerabilities amplified by heat. While few studies disaggregate data by migrant status (in opposition to direct requests by organizations like UNICEF), the pattern in socioeconomically deprived groups is clear (9, 11). Moreover, disparities in funding and implementation exacerbate these existing inequalities. Wealthier nations and cities often have more resources to invest in green infrastructure and resilient urban planning, while less affluent regions struggle to keep pace. This divergence risks deepening the socioeconomic divide among European youth, as children in less affluent nations may experience more severe health and educational impacts due to inadequate climate resilience measures.

The role of green spaces and nature-based solutions

Green infrastructure may offer a solution, if it reaches the right places. Parks, street trees, gardens and “cool roofs” can decrease temperatures and give children places to play safely out of the sun. Research shows that well-planned urban greenery can mitigate heat islands and improve children’s health (9, 12). In high-density cities, informal green spaces, such as community farms or gardens have even been shown to boost children’s physical and mental development (12). On a community level, nature-based interventions, including green facades and city forests, not only reduce heat stress but also deliver cleaner air, more biodiversity and better quality of life (1).

Green infrastructure is also a cost-effective solution to the issue of urban heat, with studies showing that nature-based infrastructure can be up to 50% less expensive than traditional “gray” infrastructure (13). Moreover, green infrastructure often reduces long-term operational expenses, as they are inherently more adaptable to changing environmental conditions and tend to self-regulate (13). This generally makes investment in green infrastructure a practical choice for cities aiming to enhance resilience while managing budgets effectively.

However, access to green space is currently unequally distributed. In many cities, the wealthiest areas boast large parks, while poorer zones see only narrow streets and paved yards. Equity-minded planners thus emphasize “just” nature – designing green space specifically to serve disadvantaged youth (12). For example, some cities have greened schoolyards or rooftops in poorer districts, explicitly to give these children a cooling refuge. The European Environmental Agency (EEA) highlights that investing in green infrastructure must target the neighborhoods that need it most for cooling, flood protection and quality of life (10). In practice, this means prioritizing green spaces and equity-based planning in heat-vulnerable, low-income districts.

Data-driven resilience planning

Strategic, data-driven planning is key to achieving these goals. Select European cities are already beginning to use high-resolution mapping and demographic data to guide interventions. For example, Vienna partnered with a geodata firm to build an Urban Heat Vulnerability Map. By blending satellite heat data with demographic information (including population of young children and the elderly), Vienna’s planners identified ten densely populated districts with almost no green cover and many at-risk residents. These insights directly informed Vienna’s new “Cool Streets” initiative, which targets planting and shading projects precisely in those heat-vulnerable communities (14). Such tools exemplify “precision equity”: using disaggregated environmental and social data so that adaptation funds flow to streets where poor children walk to school, rather than evenly across affluent and deprived areas alike.

Cities can also leverage community data. The EEA notes that public-sector programs are beginning to consult youth, migrants and social-service networks in local climate plans, ensuring that policies reflect who is most at risk (15). By treating children as a distinct demographic group–with unique exposure and needs–planners can integrate child-specific measures. For instance, the OASIS program in Paris transforms playgrounds and school grounds into green oases (2). In budgeting terms, some city governments are also “child-focused budgeting” so that the share of climate adaptation funds going to low-income districts or public schools is tracked and expanded.

European institutions have likewise begun recommending that National Adaptation Plans and even school-building standards account for child vulnerability to heat. The EU Council has, for instance, identified schools as priority sites for greening and ventilation improvements (2). These signals bolster the case for long-term investments – from shaded bus stops to climate-resilient school curricula – that build urban resilience with an equity lens. However, most of these programmes are in the pilot or early stages of implementation–and adaptation progress varies significantly between European countries (2). While promising efforts are emerging at local levels across Europe, a truly coordinated EU response is urgently needed. Nearly half of urban schools in Europe are already situated in heat islands (2), and Europe’s cities are warming faster than anywhere else in the world (5).

Investing in children: urban heat resilience

Children in Europe’s cities are already living through a climate experiment–one they did not sign up for. It is clear that today’s urban heatwaves degrade children’s health, learning and well-being, with the heaviest burden falling on those in disadvantaged communities (2, 9). For policymakers and planners, this calls for urgent, targeted resilience planning. While the European Union has initiated programs like the LIFE Programme and the 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission to support climate adaptation, concerns persist regarding the adequacy and equity of these efforts (16). Reports indicate that adaptation strategies across the EU are fragmented and vary in quality, with a lack of consensus on effective measures and indicators to assess progress. Furthermore, the EU currently lacks common norms for monitoring and reporting adaptive capacity, hindering the implementation of these necessary measures (17).

Tools like high-resolution heat mapping, disaggregated demographic analytics, and equity impact assessments can guide where to plant trees, upgrade school infrastructure, or improve housing insulation. However, these measures must be targeted towards the countries, regions and neighborhoods that need it the most. This will necessitate effective EU-wide funding and needs-based action across borders and sectors. Corporations, for instance, will also have a pivotal role to play in enhancing urban heat resilience. By investing in green infrastructure projects, supporting community-based initiatives, and integrating climate adaptation into their operations, businesses can contribute significantly to creating cooler, more equitable urban environments. Public-private partnerships can further mobilize additional resources and expertise, ensuring that interventions are both effective and sustainable.

Above all, this is a matter of justice. Children have the right to a safe environment and to reach their full potential. Green, cool, inclusive cities are not a luxury but a necessity. Investing in these measures creates healthier children, fewer absent students, and a more equitable future. In short, when cities plan for children’s needs, they build resilience for everyone. Shall we?

This article is part of The Outside World, ftrprf’s very own research center.

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