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MAINCODE Manifesto

MAINCODE builds upon the criticality that European cities are increasingly challenged by the impacts of climate change, particularly heat waves. The project aims to transform critical public spaces into climate shelters using NbS along with co-design processes and test their potential in schoolyards of Turin (Italy) and Halandri (Greece).

MAINCODE transforms schoolyards into Urban Climate Shelters (UCS) as a cooling strategy to guarantee a safe and accessible space for everyone, fostering pathways to heat resilient and healthy cities. 

MAINCODE seeks to deliver a comprehensive methodology for UCS implementation, positioning climate shelters as the “main code” to unlock regenerative urbanism, testing their potential in pilot projects and encouraging upscaling across Europe.

  • We provide a theoretical background of UCS in schoolyards by expanding the literature review on the benefits and trade-offs of transforming schoolyards into UCS, contributing to the scientific debate.
  • We set the MAINCODE Methodology for implementing the UCS in schoolyards, from mapping socio-economic and climate vulnerability to co-designing elaboration, fostering a successful upscaling process.
  • We test and validate the MAINCODE Methodology in pilot schoolyards in Turin (Italy) and Halandri (Greece). The two cities represent the worst European situation related to extreme heatwaves, as they are characterised by the highest projected intensity of UHI in 2050.
  • We enhance the upscaling of UCS as a codified approach for schoolyards, supporting Turin and Halandri in overcoming policy barriers and quantifying the socio-economic impacts of these solutions. We provide a comprehensive toolkit for schools and practitioners, and a set of policy recommendations for policymakers.
  • We recognise the co-benefits of mainstreaming nature for strengthening urban ecosystems and creating a network of shelters as an urban biological corridor to address societal challenges and urban resilience.
  • We identify strategies to support the replication of the MAINCODE Methodology in other European cities to frame UCS in schoolyards as one of the DUT solutions that will contribute to the regenerative urbanism.
Let’s keep in touch
MAINCODE Principal Investigator
MAINCODE Project Manager

MAINCODE has been funded by the Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MUR), the Innovation Fund of Denmark (IFD), and General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI) under the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership which has been co-funded by the European Commission. MAINCODE runs from 2025 to 2027