Extreme Heat

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.

Report: Skyscrapers a Driving Factor of the Urban Heat Island Effect
As cities build upwards in an effort to create more housing and increase walkability, research shows that tall buildings intensify heat and contribute to increased carbon emissions.

Why It's So Difficult to Measure Heat Deaths
Without a standard for recording and classifying heat-related deaths, experts believe the scale of the problem is much bigger than numbers let on.

How Extreme Heat Threatens the Electrical Grid
Higher demand for electricity and lower capacity for production due to more intense heat waves are straining the power grid and causing concern for future energy production.

In Extreme Heat Waves, Cities Need 'Social Resilience' to Help the Most Vulnerable
This summer's heat waves wreaked havoc on physical infrastructure, but also highlighted vulnerabilities in our social support systems.

Redlined Neighborhoods Suffer More From Extreme Heat
The recent heat wave in the Pacific Northwest highlighted how historical inequities still affect the health and well-being of low-income and marginalized communities.

New Study Ranks the Urban Heat Island Effect in U.S. Cities
A new analysis by Climate Central evaluates the intensity of urban heat islands in cities around the United States—New Orleans tops the list.

It's Time for National Cool Communities Standards
Cities are hotter because of the way we build them, and they could be cooler if we built them differently.

2020 Was a Landmark Year for Climate Change
Many companies set goals to achieve by 2020 and came up short, while the effects of climate change were more obvious than ever in the year that was 2020.

Boston Launches a 20-Year Urban Forestry Plan
The forthcoming Boston Urban Forestry Plan is expected to support communities that have been disproportionately exposed to environmental stressors.

Mapping the Climate Change Future of the United States
The regions of the United States that have provided the most hospitable to human life and agriculture on the continent will likely be abandoned in a future altered by climate change, according to this interactive mapping project.

Twin Cities Climate Vulnerability: Extreme Heat
State climatologists are highly confident that heat waves are likely to trend upwards in future summers in Minnesota. To address extreme heat, researchers are identifying the factors that exacerbate extreme heat.

1.2 Million Climate Refugees and Counting in the United States
Americans are fleeing the effects of climate change by the millions. Expect the number of climate refugees to continue to grow.

A New Study Measures Extreme Heat's Human Impact, Flags At-Risk States
Heatwaves are the leading cause of deaths related to weather. A new study seeks to understand the impact of heatwaves and extreme heat exposure on humans and the cities in which they live.

Critics Say Boston Tree Removal Plan Reflects Environmental Racism
A road project in Boston involves removing hundreds of mature trees. Residents say the plan is an environmental justice issue.

The Undeniable Link Between Redlining and Extreme Heat in American Cities
The country’s history of racist and segregationist housing policies is affecting vulnerable low-income communities of color that are bearing the brunt of climate change impacts.
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