A FAIR Data Framework for Increasing Resilience Capacity to Extreme Heat in Urban Areas

Abstract

This study outlines the conceptual framework and stakeholder-driven requirements for the Just Climate Urban Resilience Service (Just-CURS), an urban Digital Twin platform developed as part of CLIMATE-ADAPT4EOSC EU-Horizon project. Just-CURS is designed to establish a new standard for cross-disciplinary research, promoting a more coherent and effective integration of climate and social data to inform both scientific understanding and policy-making in urban climate adaptation. The approach introduces innovative elements by advancing a more holistic assessment of urban climate risk, in contrast to existing methods that consider environmental and climatic factors separately from socio-economic factors. The Just-CURS framework integrates high-resolution climate modelling with participatory, stakeholder-driven data, embedding the FAIR principles and interoperability standards consistent with the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) to deliver a unified set of indicators and services for assessing urban climate resilience in extreme heat. This comprehensive integration represents a significant advance over traditional methodologies, enabling continuous monitoring, exploration of “what-if” adaptation scenarios, and evidence-based urban planning to make cities smart. Ultimately, Just-CURS distinguishes itself as a replicable and operational tool that not only enhances local resilience in the Municipality of Aigaleo, Greece, but also contributes to the broader transition towards interoperable, data-driven climate adaptation services across European cities.