Saint-Omer, Wimereux and neighbouring municipalities take the next step in strengthening local resilience to urban heat.

The Heat Is On has officially started in northern France. On the 13th October 2026, the French partners in the Interreg North-West Europe funded Cool Neighbourhoods project launched the regional training programme, bringing together local stakeholders who will help turn knowledge about urban heat into practical neighbourhood action.

Participants at the French launch of The Heat Is On training programme, 13th October 2026. Photograph supplied by the French Cool Neighbourhoods partners and stakeholders.

A strong regional start

The launch attracted over 30 people attending the opening session. Participants came from CAPSO, Saint-Omer, Wimereux and three other towns in the surrounding area. They represented a broad range of roles, including elected representatives, civil servants, and professionals working in environmental services, urban greening and resident participation.

That mix of expertise matters. Addressing urban heat is not solely a question of planting trees or redesigning public spaces. It also requires cooperation between local departments, elected officials and communities, especially when planning for residents who are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures.

From awareness to practical neighbourhood action

The training forms part of Cool Neighbourhoods deliveries, specifically – Empowerment and capacity building for greater liveability in heat-affected areas. The Province of Antwerp coordinates the programme with the project partners, while regional partners adapt and deliver it in their own local contexts.

The aim is to strengthen local authorities’ and stakeholders’ ability to understand heat risks, identify appropriate measures, involve residents and develop feasible heat stress action plans. Rather than ending with general climate-awareness messages, participants are encouraged to apply what they learn to a real location in their municipality.

A learning pathway built around real places

The programme combines four e-learning modules with two practical workshops. The learning journey starts with understanding heat stress and the people and places most exposed to it. It then moves to reading local risk data, selecting interventions, engaging stakeholders and considering how proposed measures can be funded, implemented and monitored.

The Heat Is On – Learning Pathway showing the ideal training sequence. Implementation Calendar Province of Antwerp, June 2026.

During the practical sessions, learners work with evidence from a chosen neighbourhood site. They diagnose the local challenge, consider nature-based and other solutions, hear different stakeholder perspectives and progressively develop a co-created action plan. The expected outcome is a practical, supported heat stress action plan for that site – not simply a certificate of attendance.

Local delivery, shared European learning

The four e-learning modules have been prepared in French, Dutch and English, supporting wider use across partner regions. The programme can also be adapted to local needs and existing expertise. That flexibility is essential: neighbourhoods may face similar heat pressures, but the available data, local institutions, residents’ priorities and practical interventions will vary.

From project knowledge to wider impact: the Cool Neighbourhoods capacity-building approach, Cool Neighbourhoods project communication graphic.

The French partners are among the first within Cool Neighbourhoods to launch their local training sessions. Their experience will be valuable as other regions put the materials into practice, share their feedback and refine the approach. The French launch also coincided with France’s National Resilience Day – an appropriate moment to underline the importance of preparing communities for rising climate risks. The national observance was not itself a Cool Neighbourhoods event.

Looking towards Goes – and the next steps

The French partners are preparing to share their early experiences at the forthcoming Cool Neighbourhoods partner meeting in Goes, November 2026. This will offer an opportunity to reflect on participation, regional delivery and how the programme can support further neighbourhood-level action across North-West Europe.