Urban Heat Island Effect
How AI Is Revolutionizing Urban Forestry and Climate Resilience
Tree-D Fusion, an AI-driven tool developed by MIT and Purdue researchers, generates 3D models of urban trees to help city planners visualize future green spaces, address climate challenges, and enhance urban livability and sustainability.
Phoenix Shade Plan Focuses on Bus Stops
The city’s updated Shade Master Plan calls for trees and built structures at bus stops to protect residents from heat.
Cities Prioritize Urban Reforestation to Combat Heat and Revitalize Communities
Cities like Phoenix, Chicago, and Boise are prioritizing urban reforestation as critical green infrastructure to combat extreme heat, address environmental inequities, and foster community revitalization.
A Framework for Inclusive Tree Planting in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Urban Forest Equity Collective has developed an equity-centered tree-planting framework and toolkit to address historic underinvestment and mitigate extreme heat in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Shifts in Shopping: Transforming Malls Into Parks
Maybe zombie malls still have a second life — one with a little greenery.
Improving South Los Angeles Through Strategic Tree Planting
The University of Southern California Urban Trees Initiative is planting 250 trees in South L.A. neighborhoods to improve shade, combat climate change, and enhance community well-being through collaboration and data-driven approaches.
Phoenix Announces Shade Action Plan
The city has outlined 11 strategic priorities aimed at addressing the risks of extreme heat and protecting vulnerable residents from its impacts.
Quantifying How Urban Trees Cool Cities
A new tool can help cities understand the benefits of tree planting efforts at the municipal scale.
Research Shows Cool Pavement Coatings Can Raise Ambient Temperature
Coatings that reflect heat can make the air feel warmer for people standing on and around these surfaces.
Urban Trees Have Bigger Impact in Hot, Dry Cities
The cooling effect of robust urban tree canopies is more pronounced in hotter, drier cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas.
DC’s Hottest Neighborhoods Have the Least Shade
Areas most exposed to extreme heat also tend to lack bus shelters and benches at bus stops.
Green Schoolyards Offer Respite From Urban Heat
More schools are transforming asphalt-covered playgrounds into shady oases that help reduce temperatures and absorb emissions.
Study: Urban Trees Lose Cooling Benefits in Extreme Heat
A robust tree canopy can help reduce the urban heat island effect and lower air temperatures, but the impact is reduced as temperatures rise.
Advancing Sustainability and Resilience Through Parks
The Urban Land Institute offers fact sheets describing five innovative ways that parks can reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate threats while advancing health, equity, and quality of life in urban areas.
Addressing the Perils of Extreme Heat
With this year bringing on more record heat waves, governments at the local and federal levels are elevating extreme heat management as an urgent priority.
Invasive Beetles Put Oregon Forests at Risk
Two recently discovered borer beetles could lead to a significant loss of tree canopy.
The Promise of Urban Food Forests
Planting food-producing trees can offer both shade and a source of healthy foods in concrete-dominated neighborhoods.
Urban Design for Sustainability
The way we build cities can have significant impacts on public health and equity.
An Untapped Energy Source: Underground Garages
A European study measured ambient air and groundwater temperatures in underground parking garages and found that the heat generated by these structures could potentially power thousands of households.
How Extreme Heat Impacts Heart Health
A higher number of high heat days correlates with more cardiovascular deaths, according to new research.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
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
