Co-Creating Heat-Resilient Cities for Children and Youth

IDOS expert Dr Niklas Wagner joined an interactive COP30 workshop to highlight the need for genuine participation and co-production in designing healthy, heat-resilient cities.

As part of the COP30 Thematic Day on Cities & Health, IDOS expert Niklas Wagner contributed to the session “Co-creating Healthy Towns and Cities for Children and Youth”, organised by YOUNGO, ICLEI, and the Young Urbanists of Southeast Asia. The workshop brought together youth practitioners, municipal actors, and climate–health experts to explore practical solutions for protecting children and young people from extreme urban heat.

In his intervention, Niklas Wagner underscored the importance of meaningful participation, stressing that vulnerable communities must have a central role in shaping urban climate–health strategies. He emphasised that healthy, heat-resilient cities can only emerge through co-production, where youth, civil society, and local governments jointly design inclusive and equitable urban responses.

The session’s collaborative design challenge illustrated how participatory approaches can inspire innovative and community-driven ideas for cities of the future—an essential pathway for building urban environments where children and youth can thrive in a warming world.