Reduce the urban heat impacts of public buildings, sites, and infrastructure and provide resiliency co-benefits.
Best Practice of this action
Rating Guideline
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Use observation and data to identify specific locations of heat vulnerability in the community (such as large areas of asphalt pavement, multi-family buildings with minimal shade, lack of boulevard tree canopy, high-traffic heavily-paved areas with lots of vehicle exhaust); identify and evaluate locations where improvements will contribute to equitable community resilience. |
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Comprehensively assess options to reduce urban heat and improve air quality in advance of planned maintenance, repair or construction of local roads; take preventive action to complete at least one installation (such as: cool/pervious pavements, higher albedo coatings, increased roadside vegetation including resilient tree species, or efficient timing/sensors for stoplights), also incorporating stormwater BMPs as applicable; invest in improvements will contribute to equitable community resilience. |
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Comprehensively assess options to reduce urban heat and improve air quality in advance of planned construction, maintenance or replacement of roofs, sidewalks/patios, parking lots/ramps, and landscaping/vegetation for new and existing city-owned buildings, structures and sites; take preventive action to complete at least two installations (such as: cool or vegetative "green" roofs, cool/pervious pavements, or a meaningful increase in vegetative cover including resilient tree species), also incorporating stormwater BMPs as applicable; document projects that contribute to equitable community resilience. |
Resources
Definitions:
- Urban ‘heat islands can form under a variety of conditions, including during the day or night, in small or large cities, in suburban areas, in northern or southern climates, and in any season.’ Learn about Heat Islands (EPA, 2022)
Data:
- Urban Heat Severity for US Cities (Trust for Public Land) shows where certain areas of cities -- at a 100' level -- are hotter than the average temperature for that same city as a whole, using data from 2018 and 2019.
- View the Extreme Heat Map Tool for land surface temperature data for the Twin Cities metro area. The tool allows users to view results of hypothetical implementation interventions such as targeted tree planting.
- The City of Hopkins set out to understand heat vulnerabilities to help the city and residents direct strategies to strengthen the resilience of community members who are most vulnerable to extreme heat. They created a Story Map (City of Hopkins, 2023) to share recommendations for reducing the urban heat island effect.
- The National League of Cities provides a tool for Average Heat Wave Risk by City (NLC, 2023) for over 60 U.S. communities to view public bus stops in relation to tree canopy and vulnerable populations.
- Engage the community to share their experiences. For example, Climate Resolve asked bus riders to ‘vote’ for the hottest bus stops across LA County to help prioritize needed improvements.
Solutions:
- EPA's Heat Island Effect program provides mitigation strategies.
- Urban Heat Island Effect solutions and funding (NLC, 2023) shares potential solutions and resources.
- Adapting to Urban Heat: A Tool Kit for Local Governments provides guidance for increasing cool roofs, green roofs, cool pavements, and urban forestry.
- The Green Infrastructure Toolkit (Georgetown Climate Center, 2016) provides strategies and techniques that manage stormwater, reduce urban heat island effects, improve air quality, and promote economic development and other sustainability goals.
- See the GreenStep BP 16 Urban Forests and Soils for background, benefits and resources for trees, and BPA 17.5 for green infrastructure resources.
Order Number
6
Action Type
Finite