Extreme Heat
How California Kept the Lights On
To stave off rolling blackouts during a record heat wave, California relied on dramatic conservation by households and a growing renewable energy sector.
L.A. Bus Stops Offer No Relief From Searing Temperatures
As heat waves intensify, bus riders in Los Angeles are forced to wait at bus stops that offer little shade or seating, putting vulnerable residents at risk of heat stroke and other health impacts.
Los Angeles Parents Demand Greener Schoolyards
With asphalt temperatures reaching as much as 150 degrees, parents and advocates are asking the city’s school district to provide more shade, trees, and other heat mitigation features on its schoolyards and playgrounds.
World’s First Municipal ‘Heat Officers’ Combat Extreme Heat
As extreme heat threatens infrastructure and public health, municipal ‘heat officers’ work to develop cooling strategies to keep urban residents safe from increasingly hot temperatures.
What Is the Urban Heat Island Effect?
Man-made surfaces and urban density contribute to higher temperatures, intensifying heat waves and posing a growing danger to public health.
How Extreme Weather Threatens Transit Systems
As weather events become more intense and unpredictable, transit agencies must take steps to protect their aging infrastructure from flooding, storms, and extreme heat.
Infrastructure Must Catch Up With Climate Change
The worsening effects of extreme weather events are accelerating the deterioration of critical infrastructure, leaving communities more vulnerable.
This Street Treatment Fights Extreme Heat
Applied to streets, parking lots, and other asphalt surfaces, a reflective epoxy coating can lower temperatures by as much as 10 degrees and cool neighborhoods vulnerable to extreme heat.
Oregon Law Requires Cooling, but Could Leave Many Renters Out
A state bill requiring landlords to allow tenants to install portable air conditioners comes with a raft of exemptions that could restrict the most affordable options.
Protecting Urban Residents From Extreme Heat
With temperatures reaching record highs in cities around the country, local officials are implementing measures to ensure vulnerable residents have adequate cooling.
Mapping Heat Inequality
A new mapping tool underscores inequities in infrastructure that lead to higher rates of heat-related illnesses in low-income neighborhoods.
New Tool to Understand Heat Vulnerability and Resilience in California
The California Healthy Places Index: Extreme Heat Edition is a tool which provides datasets on projected heat exposure for California, including place-based indicators measuring community conditions and sensitive populations.
Extending the Life of California's Largest Power Plant
Gov. Gavin Newsom has notified the U.S. Department of Energy of his interest in using funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant slated to close in three years.
Extreme Heat as a Public Health Crisis
Cities can take action to improve conditions during extreme heat events and prevent heat-related deaths, many of which occur in low-income communities.
U.S. Communities Increasingly at Risk of Extreme Weather Events
As development pushes into more wildfire-prone areas and climate change makes extreme weather conditions more common, more Americans are experiencing the destructive impacts of climate disasters.
Ten Urban Success Stories From 2021
Still battling a global pandemic and its widespread economic and social effects, cities nevertheless made progress in some unexpected ways.
To Combat Rising Heat Deaths, Phoenix Creates Heat Response and Mitigation Office
As more extreme temperatures lead to an alarming rise in heat-related deaths across the country, Phoenix is taking action with the nation's first public heat response office.
An Interview With Jacksonville's New Chief Resiliency Officer
The city of Jacksonville's new resiliency department will evaluate the city's long-term needs and coordinate with various stakeholders to implement systems adaptable to extreme climate events.
How the Phoenix Tree Canopy Affects Urban Temperatures
As extreme weather intensifies, cities are using trees to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce energy consumption.
As Heat Waves Become More Common, Bus Shelters Are Needed to Keep Transit Riders Onboard
As climate change brings prolonged, intense heat waves to cities once associated with rain and cold weather will have to attend to the lack of shelter provided to bus and transit riders.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
