The LIFE CITYAdaP3 project contributes to the EU Adaptation Strategy as part of the European Green Deal. It used public-private partnership (PPP) financing with local businesses to test eight radically different ways of doing this – from porous concrete pavements with wooden shades to renovating traditional ‘cave houses’ – with four municipalities in Spain and Italy involved in the pilot actions. 

In Alcantarilla, southeast Spain, the project used porous concrete and paving to create a pathway for pedestrians and cyclists between the town centre and an industrial estate to the west. The permeable surface helps it dry quickly after heavy rain – reducing the risk of flooding – and contains hi-tech pollution-eating compounds which help clean the atmosphere.  

In Italy, the team planted 1 700 trees to provide shade in four urban parks in Reggio Emilia, creating ‘microforests’ and hedgerows around children’s play areas, benches, and dog walking areas. These public spaces now provide respite from the heat in the summer.  

In two urban parks in Molina de Segura, Spain, more than 600 native shrubs were planted, herbaceous plants and trees. Vegetated roadside ditches reduce flooding by diverting water runoff during torrential rain.  

Heavy rain is also a problem in the nearby small town of Lorquí, famous for its unusual ‘cave homes’ carved out of rock faces. More than 200 are currently inhabited, but many have suffered collapses, landslides, and damp in recent years. 

LIFE CITYAdaP3 tested different methods including concrete blocks, structural grids, and vegetation to stabilise hillsides around the town. 

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