How can a parking lot help make Zurich’s streets more climate-friendly? And which types of pavement are truly effective in combating urban heat islands? At the test site near Theater 11, a parking lot is being transformed into a climate laboratory—the only one of its kind in Switzerland.

The City of Zurich and the ZHAW demonstrate how materials such as asphalt, gravel, and grass pavers can store heat, allow water to seep away, and make urban spaces more pleasant. Experts explain on-site which solutions are currently being tested in civil engineering—and how streets and squares are being adapted to climate change.

You’ll get hands-on experience right there on site: Measure the temperature of various surfaces, test their permeability, and discover which building materials could make Zurich cooler, greener, and more livable in the future.

More about the test area:
Pilotfläche Parkplätze und Trottoirs | Stadt Zürich