Author: Elisa Abrantes
Stories from Pilot Cities: Limassol is one of the 112 cities participating in the EU Mission to deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities, and the Pilot Cities Programme – a component of the Mission that focuses on exploring and testing pathways to rapid decarbonisation over a two-year period.
Changing attitudes to beat the heat in Limassol
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus marks the EU’s eastern extreme, so far east that it sits geographically in West Asia. Where scorching summers are becoming the new norm, the country’s second largest city, Limassol, is increasingly confronted with rising temperatures resulting from climate change.
To limit the negative side-effects, the Cypriot coastal city is implementing technological and nature-based solutions.
As part of the Pilot Cities Programme facilitated by NetZeroCities, Limassol is taking innovative steps to reimagine how they can co-create methods with citizens to curb emissions.
The LC³ Challenge
Limassol’s pilot project, “LC³” for Limassol City Cooling Challenge, aims to tackle the urban heat island effect through a combination of rapid interventions and citizen involvement. Running from June 2023 to May 2025, the project represents an innovative shift in the city’s modus operandi.
Penelope Vasquez-Hadjilyra, Architect and Coordinator of Limassol’s Transition Team, explains some of the unique challenges facing Limassol:
“We are at the edge of Europe towards Asia and the Middle East. Our location is a challenge. We are isolated, and we are constantly affected by political issues in the surrounding area, making it necessary to consistently adapt to changing events very quickly.”
This geographical and political context creates a complex backdrop for achieving climate neutrality. The city’s reliance on fossil fuels for energy production and its isolation from the European energy grid also present significant hurdles. However, as Vasquez-Hadjilyra points out, “our barriers also generate opportunities and space for inspiration. For example, we are disconnected from the European grid, so we are pushed to generate solutions that will lead to our own energy production, and a case for becoming self-sufficient.”
A new approach to cooling
The LC³ project combines nature-based solutions with renewable energy production, underpinned by a focus on citizen participation.
“Our pilot aims to test small, light-weight interventions,” Vasquez-Hadjilyra explains. “Acceleration is our priority, because we understand that there are important milestones in 2030 and 2050. So, we need to understand how we can accelerate everything.”
To achieve this, the city is starting with small-scale, local approaches and then scaling up. Key strategies include implementing green infrastructure projects such as planting more trees, incorporating water elements into urban design, and increasing ground permeability. Other strategies include applying cool materials for roofs and pavements, adjusting urban planning to improve airflow, and installing smart cooling systems.
But what sets Limassol’s approach apart is its focus on citizen engagement and attitude change. The real innovation will come from deep consideration on who decides what happens in the city and how decisions are made.
Changing attitudes, not just behaviour
The main driver of Limassol’s citizen-centred approach is a series of ‘Co-design Solution Workshops’ , which are a first step to including multiple voices in city-level decision making and aim to go beyond mere behaviour change, instigating a deeper shift in attitudes among the general population towards climate change.
“We know that by implementing a policy somewhere in an organisation, you can get people to behave in a certain way, but that doesn’t mean that their behaviour changes outside of that context,” Vasquez-Hadjilyra explains. “What we aim to do in this project is to investigate how we start changing attitudes and behavioural patterns. How do we get people to transfer positive behaviours to other parts of their lives, at work, at home, on holiday, at their hobbies. We want people to be informed about how climate change is impacting them right now and be able to make decisions and act accordingly.”
The workshops have so far brought together a group of municipal staff where they learnt about climate change impacts, then were invited to design solutions for their workplaces and homes. As the project continues, the aim is to diversify the types of participants and bring together citizens, professionals and policymakers.
Participants who go through the workshops will have the option to join the Lemesos Commons, a voluntary rotating group of 25 workshop “graduates” who will go on to prepare mature proposals for the City Council to vote on, carrying their voices further into the realms of decision-making.
Embracing resistance
The project is not without its challenges, but Vasquez-Hadjilyra thinks resistance is a necessary precursor to change:
“I wish for resistance. It would be good to have different opinions present themselves because then we will have an actual problem to solve. If people who support these initiatives are the only voices that are being heard, then we don’t really tackle the deep problem of behaviours and attitudes that make reaching our climate goals more challenging.”
Another significant challenge is maintaining momentum. “The effort needs to be continuous,” says Vasquez-Hadjilyra. “We’re trying to find solutions on how to maintain engagement so that people who have been inspired are not disappointed, so they can continue to be inspired, and the trends spread.”
Despite these challenges, the project has already yielded unexpected benefits and sparked discussions among municipality staff on other systemic issues, such as a lack of female voices in climate action and decision-making.
“Thanks to this project, we have started talking to each other more, and more issues are being brought to light, and we are able to take more action. Now we’re talking with other women about starting co-design solution workshops to address topics like gender balance, which also need a systemic approach,” says Vasquez-Hadjilyra.
Improving urban governance
As Limassol navigates their ambitious project, the team behind it is hopeful about the potential for long-term change and making inclusive decision-making the norm, potentially transforming how urban planning and climate action are done.
“Ideally, the municipality will adapt this vehicle that has been already formed and will keep it as continuous deliberation with citizens in all decision-making processes,” says Vasquez-Hadjilyra. “Rather than having deliberations on each specific project, why not have this continuous structure? It will strengthen the municipality to have this space for people to be a part of designing the solution.”
By the end of the project in May 2025, Limassol hopes to see reduced urban temperatures, lower energy consumption for cooling, increased use of renewable energy, signs of improved public health resulting from cooler environments, and to have new projects and initiatives in place that can maintain the interest and momentum set up during the pilot.
Most importantly, they aim to develop scalable solutions that can be replicated in other cities facing similar challenges.
A rollercoaster of emotions
Reflecting on the journey so far, Vasquez-Hadjilyra describes it as “a rollercoaster of emotions.” The team has faced challenges as part of the first cohort of pilot cities, navigating new reporting structures and engagement methods. However, the experience has also been deeply inspiring.
“It gives us hope that we can do things differently,” she says. “This is what the pilot project is really teaching us how to implement local changes.”
As Limassol continues its journey towards climate neutrality, what is learnt from this experience could lead to new ways of working as a city, shaping how decisions are made locally for years to come. The city administration is reimagining the process of urban governance and community engagement by placing citizens at the heart of climate action.
