Camilla Puccinelli, Stefania Marcheggiani, Simona Gaudi, Laura Mancini
{"title":"[Climactions project: online healthcare training course to promote the awareness on risks and strategies of adaptation and mitigation for climate change impacts].","authors":"Camilla Puccinelli, Stefania Marcheggiani, Simona Gaudi, Laura Mancini","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The course \"Climactions-URBAN HEALTH\", dedicated to all professions related to the national health service, aimed to raise awareness among healthcare professionals about the risks to human health associated with climate change through an online tool. The course was created to promote training as a means of implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change. It is an online Continuing Medical Education (CME) course developed on the e-learning platform of the Italian National Health Institute (Istituto Superiore di Sanità - ISS). This course was directed and scientifically coordinated by the Ecosystem and Health Unit (ISS), in collaboration with the Department of Epidemiology of the Latium Region, and technically coordinated by the Training Office (ISS).The course attracted 25,000 participants, reaching the maximum limit available on the platform.The high number of participants who completed the course, their positive feedback on the course, the different professional categories to which they belong, and their diverse origins across the country serve as indicators of the effectiveness of distance learning, demonstrating it as a valid tool for promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies for professionals within the Italian National Health Service and the Italian National Health System for Prevention.</p>","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"41-44"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144790548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chiara Badaloni, Nicola Caranci, Francesca de'Donato, Manuela De Sario, Nicolás Zengarini, Achille Cernigliaro, Andrea Ranzi, Anna Maria Nannavecchia, Emanuele Campese, Lucia Bisceglia, Valentina Adorno, Paola Michelozzi
{"title":"[Climactions project. Environmental, socioeconomic, and territorial vulnerability in 5 Italian cities].","authors":"Chiara Badaloni, Nicola Caranci, Francesca de'Donato, Manuela De Sario, Nicolás Zengarini, Achille Cernigliaro, Andrea Ranzi, Anna Maria Nannavecchia, Emanuele Campese, Lucia Bisceglia, Valentina Adorno, Paola Michelozzi","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>to identify environmental, socioeconomic, and territorial characteristics in five urban areas (Turin, Bologna, Rome, Bari, Palermo) and to identify areas characterized by high environmental and socioeconomic vulnerability.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>geographical study.</p><p><strong>Setting and participants: </strong>study domain on five Italian cities, each city was characterized at the urban-area level.</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>for each urban area or neighbourhood, multiple spatial indicators were constructed concerning the main environmental (air pollution, urbanisation, temperature, altitude and presence of rivers and watercourses, greenery, road and rail networks), and socioeconomic (deprivation index) aspects. These characteristics have been synthesised into a composite indicator with a geographically weighted principal component analysis in order to characterise environmental and socioeconomic vulnerability in a single measure that can be more easily interpreted compared to a set of individual indicators.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>the involved cities have numerous databases suitable for mapping the main environmental and socioeconomic characteristics. Turin is the most populous of these cities and the one which has the highest average daily PM10 value (29.7±1.4 µg/m3). Together with Palermo, it is the city with the highest density of local roads. Data on residential land cover show a South-North gradient, from 50% in Palermo and Bari to 24,5% in Rome. Low-density residential areas prevail in all cities. The synthetic value of the indicator captures the spatial variability of the territory, highlighting the areas of greatest urban vulnerability in each city under study. Bologna and Roma are the cities with the highest percentage of residents in the high environmental, climate, and socioeconomic vulnerability level, respectively 38% and 29%, while Bari and Palermo show the highest fraction of population living in low vulnerability areas.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>in this study, five Italian cities were characterised from an environmental, socioeconomic, and spatial perspective. Furthermore, through the use of a synthetic indicator of socioeconomic environmental exposure, the most vulnerable areas were identified. This indicator provides immediate and effective information to support policies to protect health and combat environmental and social risk factors in the area.</p>","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"44-55"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144790634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara Tunesi, Luca Cavaliero d'Oro, Simona Dalle Carbonare, Anna Clara Fanetti, Maria Letizia Gambino, Giovanni Maifredi, Marco Villa, Alberto Zucchi, Olivia Leoni, Danilo Cereda, Antonio Giampiero Russo
{"title":"[Construction of district-level denominators for monitoring assistance: Methods, data, comparisons, and implications for health monitoring].","authors":"Sara Tunesi, Luca Cavaliero d'Oro, Simona Dalle Carbonare, Anna Clara Fanetti, Maria Letizia Gambino, Giovanni Maifredi, Marco Villa, Alberto Zucchi, Olivia Leoni, Danilo Cereda, Antonio Giampiero Russo","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.A867.032","DOIUrl":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.A867.032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lombardy Region (RL) is organized into 8 Health Protection Agencies (ATS) and 86 Districts, which are responsible for organizing and coordinating territorial health care for reference population ranging between 80,000 and 120,000 inhabitants. RL has implemented the Health Profiles Portal, an advanced system that integrates health care, socio-health, and social data to provide a clear and comparable view of the population's needs at different territorial levels. To develop the portal, it was necessary to construct denominators that would ensure the accuracy and comparability of the healthcare indicators.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>to compare three different methods for constructing population denominators: two based on Regional Registries (NAR) and one on the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) data.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>the first denominator (NAR_portale) used for the portal was constructed from all monthly extractions of NAR in 2023 collected by the ATSs; the second denominator (NAR_202401) was based on the assisted population as of January 2024, including those who died in 2023; the third denominator (ISTAT_202401) was based on Istat population data as of 01.01.2024. Comparisons, expressed as percentage variations (VP) relative to NAR_portale, were carried out at both the ATS and District levels, with separate analyses by gender, age, nationality, and residence in nursing homes (RSA). Results: overall, NAR_portale identified a population of 10,111,769 residents, NAR_202401 recorded 10,106,191 subjects (VP 0.05%), and ISTAT_202401 recoded 10,012,054 (VP 0.99%). Greater variability was observed at the ATS level, whereas districts within the same ATS exhibited more homogeneous trends. The largest VPs were observed in the extreme age groups (0-1 and 85+ years), among foreign citizens, and among RSA residents.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>the differences between denominators highlight the complexity of constructing reference populations for health monitoring. NAR_portale provides greater dynamism and completeness, but efforts are needed to standardise and ensure comparability with other sources. In the future, the integration of different data sources and the use of advanced methodologies could improve monitoring quality and support more effective healthcare planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"158-167"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144276511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Giulia Melis, Marta Ellena, Nicolás Zengarini, Eduardo Di Gangi, Guglielmo Ricciardi, Giuseppe Costa
{"title":"[Social vulnerability in climate change effect of a large city in Northern Italy: case study of Turin (Piedmont Region) within the Climactions project].","authors":"Giulia Melis, Marta Ellena, Nicolás Zengarini, Eduardo Di Gangi, Guglielmo Ricciardi, Giuseppe Costa","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>urban areas face growing challenges from climate change, especially in the form of extreme heat events that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Turin, a large city in Northern Italy, in past years has developed a policy framework integrating health equity into urban planning through the \"Health in All Policies\" approach.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>to assess climate-related health risks in Turin by identifying spatial patterns of social vulnerability associated with Urban Heat Islands (UHIs), with the goal of guiding targeted adaptation and mitigation strategies.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>cross-sectional ecological risk assessment using the IPCC framework, integrating data on hazard, exposure, and vulnerability.</p><p><strong>Setting and participants: </strong>the analysis focused on the municipality of Turin (847,237 residents), with a specific emphasis on individuals aged over 65 years. The spatial unit of analysis was the census tract (N. 3,852).</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>an index of climate risk was developed for each census tract by aggregating normalized indicators for climatic hazard (UHI intensity), exposure (elderly population), and vulnerability (socioeconomic, demographic, health, and environmental indicators).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>the analysis revealed significant spatial disparities in climate risk across the city. Northern and peripheral neighbourhoods showed the highest levels of social vulnerability and climate risk, while green and less densely populated areas displayed lower risk. The approach enabled the identification of high-priority areas for urban health interventions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>the study demonstrates the feasibility and policy relevance of applying a structured climate health risk assessment framework at the urban level. The methodology supports evidence-based planning for climate adaptation, helping local authorities target actions to protect vulnerable populations and reduce health inequalities. The results contribute to ongoing efforts in Turin to integrate climate resilience into citywide health and social policy agendas.</p>","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"86-96"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144790553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[If healthcare gets sick, does health get sick too?]","authors":"Giuseppe Costa","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19191/EP25.2-3.038","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"114-115"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144555504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesca de'Donato, Manuela De Sario, Paola Michelozzi
{"title":"[Impact of heat on health: intervention scenarios to reduce heat in urban areas and health co-benefits in 6 Italian cities involved in the Climactions project].","authors":"Francesca de'Donato, Manuela De Sario, Paola Michelozzi","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>to quantify the impact of heat on mortality, in terms of heat attributable deaths in 6 Italian cities included in the CCM Climactions project (Turin, Genoa, Bologna, Rome, Bari, Palermo) and to estimate the potential health co-benefits by considering temperature reduction scenarios in urban areas proposed in the project case studies in terms of urban nature-based solutions measures and albedo variation of impervious surfaces.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>city-specific time series models and impact assessment.</p><p><strong>Setting and participants: </strong>daily mortality counts and average temperature data in six Italian cities (Turin, Genoa, Bologna, Rome, Bari, Palermo) included in the CCM CLIMACTIONS project Main outcome measures: overall mortality. Non-linear distributed lag models were used to estimate risk and attributable deaths for increments between the 75th and the 99th percentiles of the mean temperature distribution (lag 0-3) over the period 2006-2015. To estimate the benefits of the intervention scenarios proposed in Climactions to reduce temperatures in urban areas, the deaths attributable to heat with and without this reduction were calculated and the difference between the two estimates corresponds to the potential change in the impact due to scenario measures introduced.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>the study reports a reduction in heat attributable deaths between 25% and 35% and between 40% and 60% in all cities, respectively, for the two scenarios of average temperature mitigation equal to 1.3°C and 2°C.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>although only referring to simulation scenarios, the study provides further evidence of how urban nature-based solutions and the variation in the albedo of surfaces can be beneficial at an urban level both for the environment and populations health, supporting the implementation of climate change adaptation measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"56-61"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144790551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Bar sickness. The (im)possible health in Italian prisons].","authors":"Nicola Cocco","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19191/EP25.2-3.049","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"137-150"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144555502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annafrancesca Smimmo, Emanuele Monda, Bruno De Rosa, Mario Fordellone, Chiara De Stasio, Anna Fusco, Francesca Marzullo, Martina Caiazza, Marialuisa Mazzella, Salvatore Rega, Sergio Esposito, Ferdinando Russo, Veronica Diana, Concetta Iasevoli, Maria Cristina Boccia, Sabrina Bassolino, Alberto Pagliafora, Giuseppe Fiorentino, Anna Iervolino, Maria Galdo, Ugo Trama, Pietro Buono, Antonio Postiglione, Massimo Di Gennaro, Monica Mazzucato, Paola Facchin, Barbara Morgillo, Maria Giovanna Russo, Paolo Chiodini, Giuseppe Limongelli
{"title":"[Rare Diseases and epidemiology: an overlook at data from the Campania Region Rare Disease Registry (Southern Italy)].","authors":"Annafrancesca Smimmo, Emanuele Monda, Bruno De Rosa, Mario Fordellone, Chiara De Stasio, Anna Fusco, Francesca Marzullo, Martina Caiazza, Marialuisa Mazzella, Salvatore Rega, Sergio Esposito, Ferdinando Russo, Veronica Diana, Concetta Iasevoli, Maria Cristina Boccia, Sabrina Bassolino, Alberto Pagliafora, Giuseppe Fiorentino, Anna Iervolino, Maria Galdo, Ugo Trama, Pietro Buono, Antonio Postiglione, Massimo Di Gennaro, Monica Mazzucato, Paola Facchin, Barbara Morgillo, Maria Giovanna Russo, Paolo Chiodini, Giuseppe Limongelli","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.A776.025","DOIUrl":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.A776.025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>to provide the epidemiological framework of those affected by rare diseases resident in the Campania Region (Southern Italy), using the data entered in the Campania Region Rare Disease Registry, acquiring information potentially useful for regional planning.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>observational retrospective cohort study on patients with rare diseases included in the Regione Campania Rare Disease Registry from 01.01.2022 to 31.12.2022.</p><p><strong>Setting and participants: </strong>population included in the Rare Disease Registry and resident in the Campania Region as at 31.12.2022.</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>using the data entered in the Regione Campania Rare Disease Registry, the cumulative incidence (I) of patients with rare diseases resident in Campania was calculated, stratified by age group and rare disease group with the respective 95% confidence intervals (IC95%). Standardised cumulative provincial incidences were also calculated. These are reported using a multiplication factor of 100,000.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>the incidence of patients with rare diseases in the Campania Region is 50.0 (IC95% 49.4-50.6) per 100,000 inhabitants in the year 2022. Furthermore, the rare disease groups with the highest incidence per 100,000 inhabitants are diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system (I: 8.32 per 100,000 inhabitants) and congenital malformations, chromosomopathies and genetic syndromes (I: 8.52 per 100,000 inhabitants). Moreover, the age groups in which the incidence is highest are in the paediatric age group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>an epidemiological framework of the Campania Region on rare diseases such as this one for the year 2022 is fundamental for national and regional planning in order to improve the care and quality of life of people affected by rare diseases, who often feel neglected by society. Sharing this type of information also draws attention to the need for faster diagnosis and the specialisation of new centres.</p>","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"181-189"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144555510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Pone, Francesca Romana Cattaneo, Alessandro Gabbianelli
{"title":"[Climactions project. Urban Heat Island mitigation in Rome as an opportunity for regeneration: the case study of Piazza Mancini].","authors":"Maria Pone, Francesca Romana Cattaneo, Alessandro Gabbianelli","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>to estimate the improvement of thermal comfort at a microclimatic level after using Nature-based Solutions (NBS) and albedo mitigation strategies in a square located in a densely built-up district of the city of Rome and subject to the phenomenon of Urban Heat Island.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>on the basis of the microclimatic simulation results of the current conditions of the area, obtained using the ENVI-met software, several microclimate cooling scenarios were developed and simulated; these scenarios included the integration of different layers of vegetation (herbaceous, shrubby, and arboreal) with different configurations and in different quantities and of different surfaces with high albedo index.</p><p><strong>Setting and participants: </strong>the studio area is Piazza Mancini, located in the Flaminio district of Rome.</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>the main outcome measures calculated from the simulations were the intensity of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) to estimate the perceived discomfort associated with heat and the potential improvement of such perceptions through the scenarios considered.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>the simulations based on data from 22.07.2021 showed a progressive reduction of UTCI and of the UHI in the three considered scenarios. From the first scenario, which provides for greening and replacement of the asphalt with a higher albedo, it goes to the second and third scenario, which included also changes in the structure of the square (scenario 2) and functional optimization by inserting a shading structure (scenario 3). Scenarios 2 and 3 show a decrease in UTCI of almost 7ºC and UHI of about 2ºC compared to the actual state.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>the three presented scenarios show how it is possible to improve the conditions of the healthiness of space (reducing the UHI by about 1.5°C) and that it is possible to transform mitigation actions into opportunities for the regeneration and enhancement of urban public spaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"77-85"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144790545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[From modelling to pilot site to improve the thermal comfort: the case study of Genoa (Northern Italy) within the Climactions project].","authors":"Katia Perini, Chiara Calise, Paola Castellari, Elena Nicosia, Daniele Colobraro, Stefania Manca, Pierpaolo Grignani, Enrica Roccotiello","doi":"10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19191/EP25.2-3.S1.057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>to estimate the microclimatic improvement due to the introduction of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in a small square (about 1,500 m²) located in a densely built area of the city of Genoa (Liguria Region, Northern Italy), and subject to the Urban Heat Island phenomenon (UHI).</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>through the microclimatic simulation results of the current state, obtained via the ENVI-met V 4.4.5 software, different microclimatic cooling scenarios were developed and simulated, introducing different vegetation layers (herbaceous, shrubby, arboreal), in increasing quantities per scenario, and clear surfaces. One of them was then selected for the implementation of the pilot project.</p><p><strong>Setting and participants: </strong>the study was done on Piazza Metastasio in the Cornigliano neighbourhood (VI District) in Genoa, in an area delimited by Via Cornigliano (North), Polcevera mouth (South), railway station (West), and Fiumara commercial complex (East). This area was particularly critical due to population density, absence of significant green areas, and weather and climate conditions.</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>Evaluating the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) allowed to estimate the users' feelings of well-being/malaise inside the examined area, and the potential improvement of these perceptions through targeted greening scenarios.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>the simulations of the selected scenario for the pilot project (scenario with minimum greening and with the best microclimatic performance), carried out for one of the hottest days of the last 20 years, show a decrease in the air temperature lower by around 1.8°C, compared to the current state (t current state: 34.4°C, t scenario: 32.6°C). The UTCI shows a decrease of around 4.1°C, compared to the current state, in correspondence with the trees (t current state: 42.0°C, t scenario: 37.9°C).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>the kind and the coverage ratio of the plant layers play a fundamental role on the microclimatic parameters with thermal comfort improvement (up to -1.8°C t air, up to -5.4°C UTCI), despite a reduction in the air flow (up to -0.3 m/s).</p>","PeriodicalId":50511,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiologia & Prevenzione","volume":"49 2-3","pages":"62-69"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144790549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}