The Climate Sandbox Technological and Societal Readiness Tool (CSTSRT) was developed as part of the Be Ready project. The tool serves as a planning, guidance, and self-assessment instrument that promotes climate change adaptation and urban heat island (UHI) mitigation strategies within urban planning and stakeholder engagement processes. It is based on a conceptual framework that incorporates legal, ethical, social impact, and technological feasibility criteria, enabling policymakers, urban planners, and decision-makers to design UHI interventions and assess their societal and technological (S&T) readiness prior to implementation.

The topics and questions included in the tool are designed to assess the extent to which critical contextual factors and mechanisms for UHI adaptation are considered in the design and implementation of city-level measures. Responses provided through the questionnaires help users calculate the S&T Readiness Score of their planned initiative. The tool enables city planners and experts to select and evaluate combinations of UHI interventions, assessing their suitability in relation to local climate conditions, contextual factors, intended impacts, financing mechanisms, public engagement, and other key considerations. This assessment supports decision-making throughout the entire project lifecycle, from conception and implementation to evaluation and exit phases.

The CSTSRT consists of interactive Excel-based datasets organized into four thematic sections, each containing guiding questions and an automated scoring system. The thematic sections are:

i) Citizen-led initiatives
ii) Business-led initiatives
iii) Public authority-led initiatives
iv) UHI mitigation strategies and policies

Each thematic section covers the phases of planning, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability. Within each phase, users will find two to four entry points featuring self-assessment questions designed to contextualize and connect UHI mitigation and adaptation interventions to social settings, stakeholder ecosystems, and legal and ethical considerations.

At the end of each phase, users receive an interim score, while completion of the entire thematic section generates a cumulative score. These scores reflect the societal and technological readiness (S&T score) of the planned intervention. Based on users’ responses throughout the self-assessment process, the tool also generates a customized to-do list at the end of each thematic section to support further improvements in planning and implementation.

The tool is complemented by good practices and examples from the Be Ready project and other relevant initiatives. These resources help users assess the readiness of their projects across all stages, from ideation, planning, data collection, and experimentation, through implementation and testing, to data analysis, evaluation, interpretation of results, and communication of outcomes and impacts, particularly on vulnerable groups.

Instructions for using the tool are provided at the beginning of each thematic section. To do the assessment, download the tool which is most suitable for your organization (i.e., public authority, civil society organization, etc.) and complete it offline.

No user registration is required to complete the tool.

Should you require direct interaction or mentorship, you may contact Be Ready partners through the platform.

To learn more about UHI risk and vulnerability assessment, city-level prevention measures, and stakeholder and citizen engagement processes, you are encouraged to take the courses offered through the Be Ready Training Program (accessible via the Training Program tab on this page).