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One of the important stops in our collaboration calendar was Kranj itself. In August, through a two-day peer review visit together with partners from Romania, we had the opportunity to exchange experiences and learn about the innovative climate adaptation measures that this city is pioneering. Milan Krstev, Project Assistant at the Science and Technology Park Niš, together with Ovidiu Costea, Project Manager from the city of Galați (Romania), took part in this visit within the framework of the Be Ready project.

During the stay, partners focused on Kranj’s most concrete experiences: through a presentation of the process of implementing blue measures in the old city center, challenges, advantages, and drawbacks of this approach were openly discussed.

The visit also included a study tour to the pilot project site, organized by Aleksandra Ažman, Project Manager from the City of Kranj, with the participation of the Mayor of Kranj, Matjaž Rakovec. The highlight of the visit was a joint evaluation and discussion, which enabled partners to exchange views and propose further improvements.

Special attention was drawn to the pilot action located in the very heart of the old town center – an innovative “cloud” made of waterproof wool, equipped with a water-vapor distribution system. Installed with the purpose of cooling the area during hot summer days, it helps mitigate the effects of urban heat islands, offering refreshment to citizens, their pets, and tourists, while also standing out as an example of innovative public space design. Citizens embraced it with enthusiasm, and the younger population quickly recognized it as a new gathering spot.

This visit allowed all partners to witness first-hand the results of the implemented activities, exchange best practices, and formulate recommendations that will contribute to improving future measures in tackling the challenges of climate change and the phenomenon of urban heat islands.