Perception of heat stress in cities and measures for health protection

[...]the negative effects on urban infrastructure and human health and wellbeing (including increases in morbidity and mortality rates and altered labour patterns) have not only initiated political action, but have created significant socioeconomic pressures in cities, stimulating responses in civil society [2–4]. More attention has been paid to urban heat rather than cold because of the challenges brough about by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, a consequence of the continuous densification of urban centres, and interactions with climate change [6, 10]. [...]under the right conditions, humans can to adapt to a new situation through changes in behavioural patterns and practices. In the short term, there needs to be a focus on the impacts of extreme heat on sections of urban populations based on health status [13].