Impacts from extreme heat are particularly intense in communities with a history of disinvestment, low vegetation, populations with pre-existing health conditions, large presence of elderly, children, and low- income families. While hazard mitigation plans and climate action plans may include heat interventions, it is at the city or regional scale. Previous research revealed the need for community-based solutions that are contextually and culturally appropriate. This HUE project will develop a HeatReady Neighborhood that helps communities prepare for extreme heat emergencies and work towards long-term heat mitigation solutions that create more thermal comfort for its residents. The HeatReady Neighborhood rubric will optimize a community’s assets or “heat resource shed” and be developed by community groups, neighborhood organizations, and community development corporations to guide neighborhoods in personal and collective emergency heat situations as well as to utilize evidence based solutions in creating cool zones and pathways in anticipation of a hotter future environment.

Partners

RAIL CDC

CHISPA