Ashley Broadbent, an Assistant Research Professor in Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, and faculty affiliate of the Urban Climate Research Center, together with colleagues Scott Krayenhoff and Matei Georgescu, has recently published “The motley drivers of heat and cold exposure in 21st century US cities” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper presents population-weighted estimates of outdoor heat and cold exposure, considering both global climate change and urban expansion during the 21st century. The results are particularly significant for cities in the US sunbelt, which are projected to see the greatest increase in population over the next several decades. This work represents an important contribution to understanding future heat/cold exposure, particularly when linked with other recent studies exploring indoor vs. outdoor exposure and relative access to shaded outdoor or air-conditioned indoor environments.
The full paper can be found here.