Landscape Design of Open Spaces Vulnerable to Urban Heat Islands. The role of the project between technology and nature

The paper presents the results of a project research developed on an urban area of the Municipality V in the city of Rome, where, starting from the use of temperature maps and the analysis of environmental and climate vulnerability data, mitigation and adaptation solutions to Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) are identified, through a scalar – multidisciplinary and integrated approach – into the design of open spaces, from the urban scale to the choice of sustainable technologies and eco-materials - together with the introduction of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The research experience shows that, from the planning to design stages of interventions, it is necessary to find reliable data on UHIs through the use of digital tools and real-time monitoring, to support the definition of scenarios aimed at improving the adaptive capacity of open spaces to climate changes. The final objective of the research is to stimulate widespread information on spatial and technological solutions to be implemented, where nature is placed at the center of the hypotheses of transformation of the built environment, intensifying awareness on these issues, to promote design actions aimed at trackling future climate changes.