Guimarães cools down with parks and river restoration
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Guimarães, Portugal, a city recognised as the 2026 European Green Capital, is working to lower temperatures and adapt to climate change through investments in green spaces and waterways.
Over the past decade, the city has focused on building green corridors and restoring rivers to combat rising temperatures. Guimarães, with a population of around 166,000 people across 241 square kilometres, is particularly focused on its historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which now experiences summer temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius.
The city’s approach centres on a radial model of green infrastructure, connecting parks, rivers, farmland, and forests. Researchers at the Landscape Laboratory, established by the municipal council and two universities, measured the impact of these interventions using ten years of satellite data. They found that areas with green roofs and urban gardens experienced land surface temperature drops of up to 2.49 degrees Celsius.
Carlos Ribeiro, head of the Landscape Laboratory, explains that redesigning cities is now essential for public health, as heatwaves are linked to increasing diseases. The city is also improving access to green areas, creating pedestrian paths along the Ave and Vizela rivers to encourage use. While Guimarães has already lowered temperatures by two degrees Celsius, researchers caution that continued progress requires stronger environmental policies.
