Asian City Cooling Fellowship

Building Cool, Resilient Cities—One Roadmap at a Time

Why the Asian City Cooling Fellowship?

Cities across Asia are heating faster than the global average, placing public health, infrastructure, and economic productivity at risk. Without bold, coordinated, scalable interventions, the urban heat island effect will deepen social inequities and strain local governments.

The City Cooling Fellowship empowers city leaders, universities, researchers, and academics to design and implement solutions that reduce urban heat stress. Over one year, fellows will develop actionable City Cooling Roadmaps aligned with their city’s climate and development priorities.

What Is the Fellowship?

The Asian City Cooling Fellowship is a 11-month applied research and leadership program designed to equip teams with the tools and strategies to lead cooling innovations in their city. Fellows will co-develop City Cooling Roadmaps for implementation between 2026 and 2050.

This hybrid program includes online learning, in-person team workshops, and mentored research. Fellows will receive access to technical resources, regional networks, and policy engagement opportunities.

Who Should Apply?

The program is open to:

City and municipal planners

Urban designers and built environment professionals

Researchers, academics, students, and extension workers

NGOs and technical advisors working on climate or urban resilience

Both individuals and teams may apply. Applicants from small to medium-sized cities in Asia are especially encouraged.

Local Universities and City Governments as Co-convenors

Local universities and city government are enjoined to co-convene this program at the city level. City cooling is hyper-local and will require local stakeholders to drive local prototyping and policy-making.  

What Will You Learn?

Fellows will gain practical knowledge in:

Urban heat risk assessment and mapping

Problem-driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) to Build up Climate Governance policies and capacity

Nature-based cooling (trees, water bodies, green corridors)

Infrastructure solutions (cool roofs, reflective surfaces, ventilation)

Public Health approaches to heat adaptation

Governance, equity, and climate adaptation planning

Financing and implementing citywide cooling strategies

Program Structure

Learning Labs (Months 1–3)
Interactive classes featuring case studies, global frameworks, and regional tools.

Cooling Strategy Studio (Months 4–6)
Design sessions to draft your roadmap with input from peers and mentors.

Field Research and Co-Design (Months 7–9)
Engage with local communities, conduct thermal assessments, and develop site-specific interventions.

Roadmap Presentation and Policy Dialogues (Months 10–11)
Refine and present your City Cooling Roadmap to key stakeholders, including city governments, civil society, and potential funders.

Fellowship Benefits

Technical mentorship and policy guidance

Access to global toolkits, datasets, and case studies

Peer learning community across Asia

Publication and visibility of your roadmap and outputs

Support in developing funding proposals and partnerships

Expected Deliverables

Fellows will produce:

A City Cooling Roadmap (2025–2050) for their city

A heat risk dataset and analysis

A policy brief tailored to city stakeholders

A public engagement event or tactical intervention

A presentation for a regional policy roundtable

Apply Now

Advance your city’s climate resilience and join a network of leaders working to beat the heat.

Application deadline:
Apply here:
For inquiries: CityCooling@climateactionlabs.com

About the Organizers

Adaptive Leadership International supports future-ready leaders and institutions across Asia through programs in governance, climate resilience, and public innovation.

Climate Action Labs builds university-city partnerships to accelerate climate adaptation through leadership development, applied research, and systems innovation.