Extreme Heat

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.

Better Planning Needed to Address Effects of Urban Heat Island in Hong Kong
A recent study reveals the detrimental impact of hot nights compared to hot days, with the region experiencing hotter summers and more hot days due to climate change and the heat island effect.

Satellite, Launched Into Space Earlier This Month, to Measure Urban Heat Island Effect
A new satellite, currently residing on the International Space Station and scheduled for deployment in January, will measure and map the urban heat island effect of seven U.S. cities.

Low Income People of Color More Likely to Suffer Extreme Heat
A recently published report finds more evidence to elevate heat as a matter of environmental justice.

Three Ways Cities Can Combat Extreme Heat
As temperatures rise, there are some relatively simple changes cities can implement to cut cooling costs and deal with spells of extreme heat.

The Climate Has Already Changed
A big feature explores the effects of climate change, which are already very much changing life in the United States.
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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