Potsdam against the heat: Refreshing ideas from all over Europe!

Potsdam against the heat: Refreshing ideas from all over Europe!

In the hot summer months, cities like Potsdam face a major challenge: How can we offer residents and visitors something to cool off? City officials are currently searching intensively for the answer to this question and are looking beyond their own city limits. More and more cities in Europe are using creative solutions to deal with the heat. One example is the “Coole Ships” in Vienna, which spread water mist at 13 locations to provide refreshment. This blazing example is currently being seriously considered in Potsdam, as maz-online.de reports.

Also recently presented in Vienna is the sustainable approach, which upgrades the urban space with around 1,600 drinking fountains and the so-called “summer spritzers”, which use special attachments to transform fire hydrants into cool mist. An insight into these measures shows how much value the city places on water supply. galabau-blog.de also emphasizes that the water supply in Vienna is supported by a high spring pipeline from the Alps, which makes the city not only refreshing but also sustainable.

Examples from other cities

However, the diversity of ideas does not stop there. Wroclaw has creatively installed a dwarf statue that also sprays cool mist, while Freiburg provides refreshing moments with an inviting water fountain field. In Lörrach, too, new mist showers have found their place in the cityscape after a successful test phase. In Langenfeld, city greening is promoted through planted bus stop roofs.

However, Potsdam appears a little skeptical. The city has examined the proposals, but sees the high costs and effort for such systems as major hurdles. Instead, it pursues alternative approaches, including water features that use bound water jets to prevent legionella.

Planned projects in Potsdam

But that's not all that Potsdam has to offer. As part of the Smart City project, the city plans to install so-called “cooling points” – these include fountains, water features and green areas. These innovations should not only ensure cool places, but also significantly improve the city climate. Planned projects for Steubenplatz and Johannes-Kepler-Platz include unsealing and greening these areas, which will also be equipped with drinking fountains. This means the number of drinking fountains in Potsdam could increase by a whopping 100 percent by the end of 2026.

The city administration also has other ideas in store: tips for hot days, a map with cool places and a “heat telephone” have already been established to actively support citizens.

Overall, it shows that Potsdam is well on its way to bringing more liveliness and refreshment into the summer. It remains to be seen whether we will be inspired by the ideas of other cities - the direction is definitely right!