Over 1-in-4 apartments in Barcelona at risk of extreme heat

A new study presented by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), linked to the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB), shows that more than a quarter of homes in Barcelona are at risk of extreme heat.

Specifically, 28% of homes in Barcelona are vulnerable to episodes of extreme heat.

The study categorized the city's buildings taking into account how compact the urban area of the nearby streets is, whether the home has good ventilation, and whether it has thermal insulation, which is not the case in 15% of homes.

With an analysis using cadastral data that also took into account proximity to climate shelters, they have determined that 71% of properties have a low degree of ventilation.

The research points out the areas of Barceloneta and Gràcia as particularly bad for ventilation. 

The location of homes in certain neighborhoods or areas could mean that they are already, simply due to the distribution of buildings surrounding it, more exposed to extreme heat due to lack of ventilation.