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The study, conducted as part of the ADIS<\/a> (Adaptaci\u00f3 al Canvi Clim\u00e0tic en Barris Desafavorits<\/em>) project, , analysed data from the exceptionally hot summer of 2022. The findings show that lower-income neighbourhoods, characterised by high urban density and large housing estates, consistently record the highest temperatures.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The researchers compared the Urban Vulnerability Index (UVI)<\/strong> developed by the Institut Metr\u00f2poli with two temperature indicators: Land Surface Temperature (LST)<\/strong>, measured using satellite data, and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI)<\/strong>, which estimates the actual thermal comfort experienced by people. Both indicators reveal a positive correlation between urban vulnerability and exposure to high temperatures.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The study quantifies the temperature differences between vulnerable and non-vulnerable neighbourhoods. The largest disparities were found in Barcelona (+0.98\u00b0C in LST and +0.56\u00b0C in UTCI) and Valencia (+0.81\u00b0C in LST and +1.08\u00b0C in UTCI).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Madrid shows an intermediate gap (+0.58\u00b0C in LST and +0.42\u00b0C in UTCI). While these differences may appear modest, they are highly significant in terms of comfort and public health. A single degree Celsius can make the difference between a night during which the body is able to recover and a tropical night that places the cardiovascular system under constant stress.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Seville, the pattern is considerably less pronounced: the gap is +0.35\u00b0C in LST and -0.09\u00b0C in UTCI. This is explained by the city’s greater intra-urban climatic homogeneity, where almost all neighbourhoods experience similarly high temperatures. Nevertheless, the overall trend remains the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The study identifies the neighbourhoods where social vulnerability and extreme heat converge. In each metropolitan area, the pattern is repeated under different place names but follows the same underlying logic:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Overall, more than 3.7 million people<\/strong> across Spain’s four largest metropolitan areas live in neighbourhoods where social disadvantage and extreme temperatures combine most severely.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Recognising that heatwaves are no longer exceptional events but part of a new climatic reality, the researchers urge public authorities to act to prevent the most disadvantaged communities from bearing the brunt of increasingly extreme heat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They advocate place-based positive discrimination<\/strong>, arguing that investment in climate shelters, urban tree planting, reflective pavements and housing improvements should be prioritised in these urban hotspots.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to Marc Par\u00e9s<\/strong>, Professor of Geography and lead researcher of the project:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Initiatives such as the new Neighbourhoods Act in Catalonia represent a major opportunity to promote climate policies in the most vulnerable neighbourhoods.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n He adds:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Urban regeneration policies should expand climate shelters and the limited green infrastructure currently available in these areas. They should also allocate resources to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and invest directly in housing in order to enhance residents’ living conditions.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The study also warns that actual exposure to heat may be even greater than current measurements suggest. Residents of these neighbourhoods not only live in hotter environments, but also have far fewer resources to protect themselves from extreme temperatures.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In this regard, IGOP researcher Andrei Turlea<\/strong> states:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “The real exposure gap is much larger than what we are currently measuring. Residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods not only live in hotter environments; many also spend their working day outdoors under the sun before returning home to dwellings that often become ovens.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The research, carried out across Spain’s largest metropolitan areas, demonstrates that this is not a phenomenon unique to Barcelona. In Madrid, more than two million people live under similar conditions in neighbourhoods such as Vallecas, Carabanchel and Usera. Valencia and Seville display the same pattern, with hundreds of thousands of residents living in historically segregated urban areas where heat is intensified.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Although the study is still in progress, the findings are being released now in light of the urgency of the current climate crisis.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n IGOP-UAB<\/strong> is a research institute specialising in public policy. The ADIS<\/strong> project is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” link_text_color=”#0C71C3″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The news in the media<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n La Vanguardia<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Calor, sentir les desigualtats (ARA \/ opini\u00f3)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n M\u00e9s de 900.000 catalans, atrapats en barris amb calor extrema (Diari ARA)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Onades de calor desigualtats i pol\u00edtiques urbanes (ARA \/ opini\u00f3)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Diario Levante (EMV)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\nTemperature gaps city by city<\/h2>\n
More than 3.7 million people trapped in “hotspots”<\/h2>\n
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A call for targeted public policies<\/h2>\n
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The adaptation gap deepens inequality<\/h2>\n
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![\"Mapa](\"https:\/\/igop.uab.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/barrios_vul_calor_barcelona-cat-1024x724.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nA structural pattern across Spain<\/h2>\n