The SHINE project examines the relationship between climate change, urban structure, health, and care organizations from a holistic perspective and analyzes the impacts of heat and climate change on health and social services in Vienna. The focus is on one of the most vulnerable groups in our society—people in mobile long-term care—and on mobile care services, whose staff are also significantly affected by the increasing heat. We investigate 1) what heat in the city currently means for people in mobile long-term care and how the situation will worsen for them and their care organizations due to climate change in the future, and 2) how organizational and urban structural adjustments, particularly greening, can counteract negative climate impacts.

Methodologically, primary data, indicators, advanced climate simulations, and organizational analyses are combined. New climate and heat risk maps are provided, and the resulting burdens for mobile care are calculated. Organizational adjustment measures resulting from this are explored, described, and partially quantified in mobile care organizations. This situation is compared with an intervention scenario in which urban nature-based solutions are implemented, which are expected to alleviate organizational adjustment pressure. SHINE is the first project to investigate the impact of urban climate change adaptation measures on mobile care organizations, their clients, and staff. This enables decision-makers to act based on evidence, adapt structures to future climate risks, and legitimize measures.

The project is funded by the Climate and Energy Fund as part of the Austrian Climate Research Programme (ACRP) 17th Call, managed by the FFG. Consortium partners include the Austrian Institute for Technology (AIT) and MedUni Vienna (MUW).