Place au frais!

A place to cool off in the city 

In Lausanne, the area next to the rail station's underpass, Place des Saugettes, has been transformed into a cooling area. In response to increasingly frequent heatwaves, the city council is providing a shaded, friendly spot in the heart of the urban area. The structure is designed as an open-air laboratory that allows experimentation with new types of sustainable development. Its physical effects (shade and temperature) and adoption by users are subject to scientific monitoring. Catta supports this participatory approach by actively involving the population in greening the structure and conducting on-site observations and a participatory questionnaire on usage and thermal perception.

A participatory approach to urban development

A public space is never neutral; it is experienced, traversed and felt differently by different people. By directly involving local residents, local associations and heat-vulnerable populations, the project promotes collective ownership of the space and enhances its conviviality.

In early April, the first major event took place: An afternoon of participatory planting and fun activities related to heat, which brought residents together to launch and inaugurate the project. During the summer of 2025, on-site observations and an online questionnaire were used to document the population's use of and perceptions regarding the cooling structure. The results seem to indicate that, despite the high temperatures, the square is perceived as more pleasant thanks to the green structure. The project's results will be presented in spring 2026 in the form of an exhibition on the square.

Client:  City of Lausanne

Our role: Concept and implementation of participatory day, data collection, data analysis