Spain opens libraries and gyms

Spain’s response to extreme heat is increasingly running through ordinary public buildings. Libraries, sports halls, civic centers and social-service offices are being used as “climate shelters” — places where people can sit, cool down, drink water and stay out of dangerous temperatures without paying for a drink or a ticket. Municipal and European sources show the model is already in use in several Spanish cities, with Barcelona, Valencia and Zaragoza all publishing shelter networks built largely from existing public facilities. ### Why are libraries and gyms part of a heat plan? Barcelona’s city government defines climate shelters as indoor or outdoor spaces with good accessibility, seating and drinking water, and says indoor sites are kept at a summer comfort temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. The city said in June 2025 that it had close to 400 shelters after adding 46 new spaces. (greenmemag.com) Valencia’s climate-shelter model uses the same logic. The EU Covenant of Mayors says the city built its network around existing public facilities such as libraries, museums and social centers, offering air-conditioned spaces that people can enter without having to make a purchase. ### Which Spanish cities have actually set these up? Valencia launched its city-wide shelter network in 2022, according to the EU Covenant of Mayors, which said the city first mapped more than 1,100 potential sites. (barcelona.cat) The same EU case study said the first 10 shelters were activated in summer 2024, with plans to expand further in 2025. Zaragoza said on June 3, 2025 that it had activated information measures around a network of 55 municipal spaces across the city as temperatures rose. (eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu) Barcelona’s wider metropolitan area said in May 2025 that it would make 244 climate shelters available for the summer, including municipal facilities and public pools. Madrid has used a broader mix of heat measures rather than centering the policy on a branded shelter network. The city said in May 2025 that it would again run a summer heat campaign for people in social emergency, keep at least one senior center open daily in every district in July and August, and expand other cooling and support measures. (eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu) (zaragoza.es) ### What makes a building a “climate shelter” instead of just an open building? Valencia’s EU-backed description sets out a practical checklist: air conditioning or natural ventilation, seating, toilets, drinking water and, ideally, cultural or leisure activities. Barcelona’s city guidance similarly emphasizes accessibility, places to sit and water, with most shelters free to enter except pools. That definition matters because the policy is not simply about unlocking doors. (madrid.es) The buildings have to function during heat events as places where older people, babies, people with chronic illnesses and residents with fewer resources can stay safely for a period of time, according to Barcelona’s climate-shelter page. ### Why are cities reusing existing buildings instead of building new ones? (eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu) Valencia’s case study says the network was developed by València Clima i Energia with municipal departments and support from the Covenant of Mayors’ Policy Support Facility. The EU description presents the approach as a way to scale quickly by classifying and activating existing sites rather than waiting for purpose-built facilities. (barcelona.cat) GreenMe, which reported on Spain’s use of libraries and gyms this week, described the shift as part of a wider European move toward distributed shelter spaces during heat emergencies. That framing matches the city documents: the core infrastructure is already there, and the municipal task is to make it identifiable, accessible and operational in summer. ### What happens next this summer? (eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu) Valencia said its 10 shelters would remain active through September 30 during normal opening hours, unless weather conditions required the activation period to be extended. The city published the locations, including libraries in Benimaclet, Benicalap and El Grau, along with social-service centers, the Climate Change Observatory and municipal energy offices. (valencia.es) (greenmemag.com)