By Gracie Owens

United States tourist Brantley Taylor was doing her best to stay cool on the cobblestone streets of Prague during a visit in late June as the city struggles with a lack of air conditioning and other cooling infrastructure in the face of some of the highest temperatures ever recorded. 

“My mom and I booked Airbnbs exclusively that had A/C because wandering around in the heat all day took it out of you,” says Taylor, a 21-year-old Georgian who faced train delays on her three-week tour through Europe with her mother due to issues with failed air conditioning and train tracks warped by the heat. “Sometimes [my mom] had to go back to the Airbnb for like an hour just to sit in a cool place since a lot of the restaurants and shops did not have A/C.”

On June 28, when other parts of the Czech Republic were experiencing record-breaking highs, temperatures reached 38 C (100.4 F) in the capital city, according to AccuWeather. While tourists and Praguers alike have taken to carrying umbrellas, standing under shade trees and making detours to scattered misting stations to temporarily escape the scorching sun, city planners are trying to solve a much larger problem: how to keep one of Europe’s hottest historic capitals livable as heat waves become more and more frequent. 

The capital city of Prague has been historically susceptible to the urban heat island effect (UHI), which occurs when a city experiences much warmer temperatures than the surrounding areas. Physicists from Charles University found that temperatures can be up to 8 C (14.4 F) higher in the city center compared to rural areas. 

“Prague’s population and infrastructure, especially residential buildings, are not adapted to hot weather,” says Aleš Urban, 32, a researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, in an email statement. “Thus even relatively mild extreme heat events may cause harmful impacts on the public health sector.”

Urban and other researchers conducted a study in 2022 on the relationship between temporal changes and heat-related deaths. They found an increase in the average summer temperature as well as the duration and intensity of heat waves in Prague between the 1980s and 2010s. In 2010-2019, the intensity of heat waves in Prague was more than two times higher than the previous three decades, which led to a twice as high risk of heat-related mortality. 

“Remembering how summer looked like when I was a kid and how it looks now,” says Nathalie Burdová, 27, environmental scientist at the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague), “there definitely is, like, an increase in the number of heat waves but, also, the intensity of them.” 

Prague goes green  

The Prague Climate Plan 2030 contains blueprint measures such as planting trees and utilizing blue-green infrastructure to improve microclimatic conditions and lessen the impact of extreme hydrological events. The plan, published in October 2021, outlines dozens of adaptation projects that have since begun across the city.

Research shows that green spaces, including parks, trees alleys, and cemeteries, can lower air and surface temperatures by as much as 5 C (9 F). However, the efficiency of cooling varies depending on plant density and spatial distribution. As stated by Burdová, the biggest influences on UHI are the surfaces, vegetation and structure of the city. 

One characteristic that sets Prague apart is its extensive green space. According to VisitCzechia, there is about 180 square meters of green space per person in the Czech capital, placing Prague 13th worldwide on the Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI). In addition to parks and gardens, part of this achievement is due to the approximate 84 cemeteries located throughout the city.

In 2022, Prague initiated systematic research on climate-resistant trees. Scientists have begun testing tree species that can withstand increasingly hot summers while surviving Prague’s harsh winters.

Not everyone agrees

While there are many projects being proposed and funded throughout the city, scientists and other professionals worry that these efforts are not working fast enough as some residents raise concerns about maintaining the heritage and aesthetic of the city. 

“The effect of trees is very local,” says Michal Belda, 48, a physicist at Charles University. “Where they’re not providing shading, they’re not effective.” 

It is simply not possible to plant trees in every hotspot of the city that requires additional shade. Underground infrastructure such as aqueducts and electricity circuits limit potential planting locations. While trees have high levels of success in reducing the UHI effect in hotspots, they are not the sole, long-term solution Praguers are looking for. 

Announced by the Capital City of Prague, the Adaptation Strategy aims to use natural vegetation patterns to create more permanent, nature-based solutions that reduce the impacts of climate change, including green walls and green roofs. These structures insulate buildings, reducing indoor temperatures and lessening the need for air conditioning.

“In my opinion, it would be great,” says Kristína Slivková, 20, a project manager for Prague City Tourism, “but Prague is not built for that.”

New infrastructure is not always met with enthusiasm. For example, Prague’s iconic “sea of red roofs” is a hallmark of the city’s historic skyline that most locals are reluctant to see change, causing opposition to green roofs especially. This strong public opinion on heritage preservation can make it difficult for the city to implement more progressive projects. 

“I think it’s necessary to have more greenery around the city center,” says Slivková. “but it’s not that easy.”

Looking to the future

The tension between preserving Prague’s past and preparing for its future can be felt across the city. While planners work toward decades-long infrastructure projects, visitors are more likely to notice the simple measures intended to help people get through another sweltering summer day.

“When I was in the city center, around the town square with the astrological clock, the city had trucks going around spraying water and misting people, which was nice,” says Taylor. 

Tourists may only spend a few days navigating Prague’s summer heat. For city planners, however, the challenge stretches decades into the future. Balancing climate adaptation with historic preservation remains one of Prague’s greatest hurdles. As temperatures continue to climb, the success of Prague’s cooling strategies may determine whether one of Europe’s best-preserved historical capitals can remain livable without sacrificing the character that makes it unique.

“We love the city and we want to protect the culture,” says Burdová. “But we need to adapt.”