MEDICUS

Adaptation Strategies for the MEDIcal Implications of Climate Change for Urban TranSformation (MEDICUS)

When summer heat settles between building facades, when particulate matter, ozone, and pollen accumulate in the air, and tropical nights bring no relief, climate change becomes immediately palpable in Bavarian cities. Children, the elderly, and the chronically ill—those who already require special protection—are particularly affected.

This is where MEDICUS comes in: an interdisciplinary research project that integrates climate modeling, environmental medicine, and urban design to better understand the health consequences of multiple climate-related stressors, develop concrete solutions, and establish new educational formats for urban transformation.

Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), the University Hospital Augsburg (UKA), and Technical University of Munich (TUM) are working together to precisely simulate future stress patterns. High-resolution urban climate models are linked with large-scale climate scenarios to map heat hotspots, pollen strongholds, and air pollution with spatial and temporal precision.

In “Living Labs” (Reallabore) at the neighborhood level in Munich and Augsburg, these findings are further developed alongside citizens. Digital tools, such as a resilience app or a “serious game,” help raise awareness and communicate adaptation strategies.

In this way, MEDICUS combines modeling, empirical research, participation, and education, making a central contribution to climate adaptation and health promotion in Bavarian cities. Within the bayklif2 network, MEDICUS places a clear emphasis on the cross-cutting theme of health and on educational formats to anchor scientific findings within society.

Background

Climate change is considered one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, and its effects are particularly evident in urban areas. Extreme heat events are increasing, and the urban heat island effect further intensifies temperature peaks. Simultaneously, environmental factors such as air quality and pollen levels are changing.

While heat, air pollution, and allergens have often been studied separately, in reality, they frequently occur simultaneously and reinforce one another. For example, a hot, stagnant high-pressure system can combine the burdens of heat, ozone, and pollen flight. For vulnerable groups, this means an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Many Bavarian cities have grown historically, and their structural designs are not equipped for these increasing extreme conditions. Sealed surfaces, dense construction, and lack of ventilation further exacerbate the burden.

There is a central need for research here: interdisciplinary analyses of multiple stressors are required to create evidence-based strategies that think of climate adaptation, urban planning, and health protection as one.

Methods and Objectives

MEDICUS pursues an integrated research strategy that systematically links climate and environmental modeling, environmental medicine, and urban design. The foundation consists of high-resolution urban climate models and large-scale climate simulations, supplemented by AI-supported analyses and hotspot cluster evaluations. This allows for the precise identification of future stress patterns, such as extreme heat periods combined with high pollen or particulate matter levels.

Parallel to this, Living Labs in Munich and Augsburg utilize participatory formats to strengthen the awareness of local residents. Together, concrete adaptation measures are developed at the neighborhood level, systematically translated into educational formats, and evaluated for their effectiveness.

Digital tools, such as a resilience app or serious games, support knowledge transfer and behavioral change. The findings are integrated into simulation models to make them transferable to other Bavarian cities.

Long-term goals are to develop solutions that:

• Reduce climate-related health risks,
• Strengthen urban resilience,
• Are translated into innovative educational formats,
• Anchor climate adaptation as a collective societal task.

Immediate Added Value for the Free State of Bavaria

MEDICUS closes a health-relevant research gap: the interaction of multiple climate-related stressors in urban spaces. By combining AI-based modeling, medical expertise, and urban planning, the project provides a robust scientific basis for:

• Evidence-based urban planning,
• Targeted healthcare prevention,
• Municipal climate adaptation strategies.

The developed models and measures are transferable to other Bavarian cities, creating concrete options for action for municipalities, administrations, and policymakers. Given the broad impact on the population (especially vulnerable groups) MEDICUS offers high societal benefit, strengthening the resilience of urban spaces and actively contributing to health promotion in times of climate change.

Potential Synergies within bayklif2

MEDICUS is closely integrated into scientific, municipal, and civil society networks. The project brings expertise from climate research, medicine, urban planning, and education to the bayklif2 network and actively promotes new networking approaches.

Collaborations with municipalities, educational institutions, initiatives, and citizens’ associations ensure the transfer of results into practice. Simultaneously, the findings flow into educational formats in the sense of “Education for Sustainable Development”—specifically, education for urban transformation.

In this way, MEDICUS becomes more than just a research project: it becomes a platform for exchange, transformation, and collective learning.

The vision is clear: healthy cities for a changing climate—scientifically grounded, participatively developed, and sustainably anchored.