Inclusive Climate Resilience in the Žilina Region: A Nexus of Mobility, Ageing, and Adaptation

The accelerating impacts of climate change are magnifying social inequalities and exposing structural vulnerabilities in European regions. In particular, ageing populations, mobility challenges, and rural-urban divides have emerged as critical dimensions of climate resilience and just transitions. This paper presents the Žilina Region (Slovakia) demonstration case from the Horizon Europe JUSTSAFE project, which explores inclusive and equitable pathways to resilience in peri-urban and rural contexts. The focus is on elderly residents with mobility disabilities-one of the most vulnerable groups to heatwaves, flooding, and constrained accessibility to public services and emergency response systems.
Grounded in nexus thinking, the study situates the Žilina case at the intersection of mobility, ageing, and ecological transition, examining how social and infrastructural systems interact to shape vulnerability and adaptive capacity. The methodological framework combines Matrix-Based Interaction Analysis with Living Lab co-creation processes, engaging the Žilina Self-Governing Region, municipal authorities, healthcare providers, and senior citizens’ associations. These participatory processes enable a collaborative mapping of risks, the identification of interdependencies among transport, healthcare, and environmental systems, and the co-design of adaptive measures that enhance community preparedness.
To support these processes, the project employs digital decision-support tools (DSS) and the SPRITE serious game to facilitate scenario-based learning and collective awareness. This participatory framework allows diverse actors-public agencies, NGOs, and citizens-to jointly interpret data, simulate potential interventions, and reflect on trade-offs between accessibility, safety, and ecological adaptation.
While the research is ongoing, early collaborative insights indicate that social care networks, mobility systems, and local governance structures play a pivotal role in enabling just climate adaptation. By integrating these domains through participatory and data-driven approaches, the Žilina case aims to provide a replicable model for inclusive adaptation that strengthens governance capacity and social cohesion.
The Žilina Region experience contributes to a broader European dialogue on just resilience, reframing adaptation as a socially co-produced process rather than a purely technical or infrastructural response. The case demonstrates how ageing, accessibility, and environmental justice intersect within the urban-rural nexus, offering transferable insights for regions seeking to operationalize equitable climate governance under conditions of demographic transition and spatial diversity.