Smart Adaptation and Seasonal Urban Exodus: A Survey-Based Approach to Climate-Resilient Cities

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Abstract
As global temperatures rise, cities struggle with heat stress and the limitations of traditional cooling strategies. This study introduces “seasonal urban exodus”—temporarily relocating urban residents to cooler areas during summer—as a behavioral climate adaptation strategy driven by the need for thermal comfort. To assess social feasibility, a survey was conducted among 163 urban residents in Romania. The dataset was analyzed using linear regression and machine learning algorithms (Random Forest and K-Means clustering). The results show that 77.9% of respondents would relocate for 1–2 months if they had adequate destination infrastructure, while a 2 °C temperature increase would cause 46% to migrate temporarily. Predictive modeling identified barriers related to heat (p = 0.009) and transportation (p = 0.016) as the most significant predictors of relocation intention. These results suggest that seasonal mobility is a viable social response to urban heat islands. However, while this adaptation strategy improves individual thermal comfort, further interdisciplinary research—including life-cycle assessments, travel emission calculations, and the evaluation of rural energy systems—is absolutely necessary to determine the net carbon balance and environmental viability of these relocation patterns.

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