Frankfurt is picking up the pace on climate adaptation
“It is a good signal that the city has acted so quickly here,” explains Martin Huber, climate policy spokesperson for Volt in the Römer [Frankfurt’s city hall]. “When we decide on climate adaptation measures, they must also reach people in a timely manner, especially in view of increasingly hotter summers. The mist showers are a visible and tangible example of this.”
Mist showers produce a cooling water mist through fine nozzles, which provides immediate refreshment on hot days. Such installations have long been established in other European cities such as Vienna, Basel, or Paris. Interest is also growing in Frankfurt; at the main train station, Deutsche Bahn has already set up its own misting installation, which is even greened. “The fact that other actors besides the city are becoming active shows how great the need is. We expressly welcome such initiatives,” Huber continues.
For the Volt parliamentary group, the mist showers are one component of a comprehensive strategy for climate adaptation in Frankfurt. Permanent greening, shading, and unsealing remain indispensable, but where these measures are not immediately or fully possible, targeted cooling options can make everyday life in the dense city center noticeably easier. “The feedback from the people is clear, mist showers are immediately accepted and create small oases for taking a deep breath in the middle of the city. We hope that the city can soon build a network of such systems in particularly heat-stressed places based on the trial operation,” Huber concludes.
