I joined Dave Hondula, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Arizona State University and Lisa LaRocque, Sustainability Officer at the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico, for a discussion on extreme heat and urban planning on the Come Rain or Shine Podcast. We discussed the urban heat island effect, how cities across the U.S. and in the Southwest are mitigating heat, and areas of hope in how we can better plan for heat.
Blog
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Op-Ed: There’s no place in the US safe from the heat
I had the opportunity to author an op-ed for The Hill with my colleague Andrea K. Gerlack, Professor of Geography, on the need for addressing heat as a national climate risk:
Over the past year, our coverage of heat equity has focused mainly on the inequitable distribution of heat severity in the urban heat island effect in cities across the U.S. — revealing how the hottest land surface temperatures tend to be in the poorest communities and communities of color. However, individuals experience personal heat exposure throughout their day, not just at home, but also during transportation and at work and school.
As shown by the Pacific Northwest heatwave this summer, no location in the U.S. can delay addressing heat as a risk any longer. Current heat mitigation and management efforts vary greatly by local government capacity and resources.
We call for more integrated approaches to heat mitigation and management at the local level and more coordinated support at the national level.
Read the full op-ed piece: There’s no place in the US safe from the heat
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American Planning Association: Urban Heat Resilience
I’m happy to share the American Planning Association (APA)’s Planning Advisory Service (PAS) QuickNotes #95 on Urban Heat Resilience written by myself and Sara Meerow is now available! In this PAS QuickNotes we explain trends in increasing extreme heat risk, describe the concept of heat resilience, and provide an overview of heat mitigation and management strategies that communities can implement. This PAS QuickNotes serves as an introduction to the topic of urban heat resilience, which will be covered more fully in PAS Report: Planning for Urban Heat Resilience, to be published in the spring of 2022.
APA Members can download the PAS QuickNotes on Urban Heat Resilience for free, and it is available to non-members for $10.
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University of Arizona Panel on Urban Heat Resilience
I was joined by several colleagues at the University of Arizona on a Wonder at Home panel to discuss urban heat resilience and its relevance in urban planning, public health, and housing:
Heat is the number one weather-related killer in the U.S., yet receives far less attention than other climate risks. In this panel discussion, you will hear from faculty members and researchers how urban heat risk is an underestimated, yet increasing, climate risk in cities across the U.S. We will explore how cities are innovating to advance their urban heat resilience through the perspectives of urban planning, public health, and housing.
Moderator:
- Brian Adair, Director, Corporate Services, Research Development, Research, Innovation & Impact
Panelists:
- Mona Arora, Principal Research Specialist & Course Instructor, Department of Community, Environment & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
- Mark Kear, Assistant Professor of Geography, School of Geography, Development, and Environment, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Ladd Keith, Assistant Professor, Planning and Chair, Sustainable Built Environments, School of Landscape Architecture & Planning, College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture
More information on this panel discussion is on the University of Arizona Foundation’s event page.
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America Adapts Podcast: Record-Breaking Heatwaves and More
I joined Doug Parsons on the latest America Adapts Podcast episode to discuss the record-breaking Southwest and Pacific Northwest/Western Canada heatwaves in June 2021, as well as thermal equity, why we shouldn’t shame indoor cooling, considerations in the naming and ranking heatwaves discussion, how we can improve media coverage of extreme heat events, my new Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard for Heat (PIRSH) research project, and the latest developments in how cities are planning for heat resilience.
Listen at: Extreme Heat in the News, Naming Heat Waves, Thermal Equity and more with Dr. Ladd Keith
Heat-related resources I mentioned in the episode:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Heat Island Effect Program
- U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Extreme Heat
- U.S. National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS)
- U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) RISA (Regional Integrated Science and Assessments) Program