capa-strategies-llc_quen-williams

Sensor Data to Heat Maps: The Analysis Process

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 18:59:31 GMT

NOAA recently reported that July 2020 was the hottest on record in the Northern Hemisphere and the second hottest on record globally, with August likely not straying far from this pattern. Higher temperatures create a stronger signal for urban heat island mappers, so this has been good news for the 2020 cohort of urban heat mapping partners. All cities successfully completed their campaigns by mid-August. Together, the 2020 cohort engaged over 600 volunteers around the country, gathering over a million unique measurements of ambient temperature and humidity on high-heat campaign days, and helping to deepen and expand local and national partnerships for climate action. So, what now? What happens with these data, how are the maps created, and when will they become available?

For the next several months, CAPA Heat Watch analysts will be actively poring over the datasets. The first step is to corroborate the collected data with campaign field notes. What were the weather conditions? Did all the volunteers show up and on time? Was the campaign completed in one day or several? Did the traverse end early due to rain or other unexpected events? Community science is replete with surprises, and sussing out specifics of campaign experiences is essential for understanding how the collected data relate to the experiment design. While most traverses come with no issues, others face the unexpected challenges of detours, low-hanging tree branches, minor sensor malfunction, and inclement weather. Debrief meetings between CAPA and campaign organizers, held soon after each campaign, help to ensure such details are understood and addressed during the data analysis process.

A second step in ensuring high-quality results is the careful review of collected data from each traverse period, day, and location. CAPA analysts use a “filtering process” that applies quality control measures for refining the temperature and humidity data and removing any anomalies, outliers, and errors that are found. Next, using a spatial analysis platform, these “clean” data are then integrated with high-resolution (10 m per pixel) satellite imagery that help to describe the surrounding land use and land cover (LULC) of each data point. Fifteen concentric rings or “buffers” of different radii and ten unique spectral bands of satellite imagery are then combined and examined to determine the most influential LULC variable to each measurement. A machine-learning algorithm then uses these variables to predict temperature and humidity cell-by-cell across the study area at each independent traverse period.

Figure in header: Traverse points (left) and predictive surface models (right) collected in Boston, MA, Summer 2019.

Because each campaign produces between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of measurements, this robust approach allows analysts to use combinations of LULC to predict temperatures and humidity even in parts of the study area where volunteers did not collect data, or where data may be missing. Important to note is that this approach of examining surrounding LULC data is different from other methods of creating continuous surfaces with individual data points -- most notably interpolation -- which generally rely only on differences in adjacent measurements to make temperature predictions in between. Research has shown interpolation produces results that don’t match well with real-world observations whereas the machine learning and model-based approach used by CAPA has been validated by in situ observations.

Given no significant challenges during data cleaning, integration, or the analysis process, a total of nine maps and datasets are typically produced for each study area -- three traverse point maps (morning, afternoon, and evening), and two continuous surface maps of temperature and heat index for each collection time. The resulting maps are studied by CAPA analysts together with other staff to validate the minimal data quality standards, which consist of accuracy, precision, relevance, and extent. The team scrutinizes each map for inconsistencies and anomalies; and, in some cases, may revise the maps as needed. Once the maps are validated and finalized, the CAPA team generates a statistical summary and integrates all of the maps into a final report that also includes stories and photos from the campaign, methodology, observations, and suggestions.

Along with the final report, local organizers will receive the cleaned data vector files and rasters, and access to an interactive online map that displays the maps. Once local organizers have had a few weeks to review the maps and share the report with their volunteers, CAPA staff will offer an opportunity to discuss observations and solicit feedback, which will also be available through an online survey to all participants. We at CAPA look forward to hearing your views and feedback on the campaign process and results!

Heat and Place: Individual Adaptations from Three Regions

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 18:13:25 GMT

A CAPA staff member shares her own and others’ personal stories about how they are coping with heat through day-to-day adaptations in their respective corners of the world.

Around the world, people adapt to extreme heat through a deep understanding of place, whether it's finding a shady refuge outside, innovating indoor cooling systems, or enjoying cold food and drinks. In order to continue through a pandemic, global civic unrest, and the height of a natural disaster season exacerbated by climate change, it is essential to be able to function on extremely hot days in our human bodies in order to grapple with the larger demands we are facing.

In this spirit, CAPA Strategies staff member Thea Kindschuh shares her own and others’ personal stories about how they are coping with heat through their own day-to-day adaptations in their respective corners of the world.

Thea Kindschuh, 28, has never lived in a home with air conditioning. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, she remembers the daily ritual of closing all the doors and shades during the day and opening everything up as soon as it was cooler outside than in. If she couldn’t get up into the mountains or to a nearby swimming hole, she and her siblings would spend the hottest days eating popsicles in the basement. They had an enormous industrial fan that her father must have picked up from an old office space in the 80s. It would roar in the front door as it blew cool night air into their house, and her mother would bring them wet washcloths for their foreheads when they went to bed.

On the high desert mesa of Taos, NM, where she currently lives, many of these techniques still apply. She uses curtains to block out as much sun as possible from the house during the day and opens the cooling tubes built into her home to passively bring air cooled from the ground through the house. Because her home runs on solar energy, she tries to minimize electricity use during the day to be able to keep a fan running through the night. Cooking appliances are used minimally to keep the space cool, but options like sun tea and cold brew coffee are wonderful alternatives. Tea and coffee are dehydrating, however. For a rehydrating beverage, she likes to dissolve honey, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in hot water and dilute with cold to taste.

“Always layers, and always wear a hat.” - Nancy Ryan, pictured, outside her wood and adobe home.

In the neighboring Taos mesa community of Tres Orejas, Nancy Ryan, 86, has the heat and air movement in her oddly-shaped octagonal house down to an art form. She keeps open pathways along the ground from the portable "swamp cooler" in the front room (Nancy has a store-bought system, but you can also make your own ) through to her bedroom, and stays largely in the low parts of the house where the cool air pools. The windows are covered with insulating fabric during sunny hours, and she watches the sun across the mesa for when to open which windows to maximize cool air flow. She is careful to ensure she has drinking water, full oxygen tanks, and gas in the generator in case they don’t get enough solar power to keep her partner’s CPAP machine running through the night, which has been needed more often as the angle of the late summer sun has combined with forest fire smoke to reduce their usual solar gain.

Shakir’s son Sahib, 12, pictured in the header enjoying a motorbike ride through the Himalayan foothills.

A year ago, Shakir Lufti, 38, was able to move his family from their home in Delhi, India, to the mountain town of Dehradun, which is much cooler. In Delhi, he would fill a cooler with ice and water that would blow cool air into his home. They use large clay pots to keep drinking water cool, and now have refrigeration and enjoy plain yogurt on hot days. Shakir often takes motorbike rides through the mountains, and his children enjoy playing on their balcony or in local rivers.

In Milan, Italy, Giorgio Olgiati, 26, says electricity is very expensive so many households don’t use air conditioning. The homes are often double-layered cement with an insulating natural-fiber material such as cellulose, wood fibers, or hemp or cork in between. On the hottest days, he uses a small portable fan in the room he’s using. Of course, Italian gelato is a summer staple and, according to Giorgio, every Italian household keeps a large stock of popsicles on hand. Free potable water fountains throughout the city help the public stay hydrated while moving about as well. Giuseppe Cilione, now 29, remembers growing up in the southern Italian region of Calabria. Before refrigeration was common, families would put their favorite summertime dolce of watermelon in either a cold mountain river or in a hole in the sand where the waves would keep it cool. In the countryside, farmers would opt for wool shirts over cotton year-round, as the material would insulate from both cold and heat.

If you have a heat story you’d like to share, please reach out to us at info@capastrategies.com, or via social media @CAPA_HeatWatch on Instagram and Twitter.

Study uses 10,000 data points to locate urban heat islands in Cincinnati

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 02:56:12 GMT

Heat is the number-one weather-related killer, and in cities it’s even worse.

Earlier this month a study collected 10,000 data points around the city of Cincinnati to determine which locations are hotter and which are cooler. They will use that information to keep people safe and move forward with development.

“At its core this is a public-health safety issue,” City of Cincinnati Sustainability Coordinator Oliver Kroner said.

A study funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration used street scientists to drive or bike around town to collect temperature data.

These volunteers took the same route, three times in the same day: once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening.

“During major heat events, people with asthma or respiratory issues can experience conditions that can threaten their life,” Kroner explained. “So we’re trying to understand where this is happening across Cincinnati, where these urban heat islands are being created by the design of our built environment.

“We have what is called the Green Cincinnati Plan. It’s our playbook for addressing climate issues and for planning for the future. We anticipate hotter temperatures moving forward. So we can see, well, we have people living in these areas of extreme heat, what can we do about it?”

Read the full article on FOX 19 Now >>

Austin Tracks The Rise In Temperatures In Its Neighborhoods

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 00:48:23 GMT

This summer, volunteers are going to be fanning out in 13 cities across the United States to literally take the temperature of their neighborhoods. They're driving cars that are equipped with special sensors to create these heat maps. This is part of a project to help cities protect people as the world gets warmer. Mose Buchele from member station KUT reports from Austin.

Listen to the segment or read the full transcript on NPR >>

Houston included in national heat mapping project

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 02:12:16 GMT

Houston heat can be extreme, and for the first time, the Bayou City is taking part in a national heat mapping project.

View the full segment on FOX 26 Houston >>

Largest heat-mapping study takes place Houston

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 01:50:00 GMT

HOUSTON, Texas- On August 7th, about 80 community scientists in Houston and Harris County participated in the nation’s largest heat-mapping study. Houston is one of 13 cities that is involved in this initiative.

The group led by the Houston Harris Heat Action team (H3AT) rode specially designed thermal sensors attached to either their cars or bicycles to map urban heat over a 300-square-mile portion of the region.

“Houstonians do not prepare for heat like we prepare for hurricanes, but we should,” said Mayor Turner in a press release. “Houston is getting hotter, and we need science and data to help identify where the greatest impacts are, so we can keep Houstonians safer and our City more resilient.”

Read the full article at NTV Houston >>

Volunteers map hottest spots in Houston on 'Heat Day'

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 02:20:52 GMT

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It may not be a cause for celebration to some, but for several volunteers around Houston, they were happy to recognize "Heat Day."

No, this is not an official holiday, but a project aimed at scientifically mapping out some of the hottest spots across the city.

"We should care even though we know it's hot every summer," said Meredith Jennings, a post-doctoral research scientist with Houston Advanced Research Center. "The science tells us that it's going to get even hotter."

Watch the full video or read the article at ABC 13 >>

Nation’s largest heat mapping study underway in Houston

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 02:15:37 GMT

The largest single-day, community-led heat mapping study in U.S. history got underway Friday in Houston.

The Bayou City is one of 13 cities in the country mapping out its hottest spots in summer 2020 in an effort leaders hope will save lives and create a better quality of life.

Many Houstonians may think hurricanes or floods are the biggest climate threat to Houston, but some city leaders and advocates say there’s a rising danger that could do as much if not more damage: rising temperatures.

Read the full article and watch the video at KHOU 11 >>

Houston to hold ‘largest single-day’ community-led heat mapping effort in U.S. history, officials say

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 02:08:20 GMT

Recruited community street scientist volunteers will embark on a 300-square-mile effort Friday to measure and map urban heat in the region, officials said.

Right around when temperatures tend to hit their peak in Houston and Harris County, nearly 80 community scientists will take to the streets with specially-designed thermal sensors attached to their cars or bicycles.

This community science endeavor is led by the Houston Harris Heat Action Team (H3AT), a collaboration between The Nature Conservancy of Texas (TNC), Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), the City of Houston, and Harris County Public Health (HCPH), and in partnership with Lowe’s and Shell.

Read the full article and watch the video on Click2Houston >>

These 'street scientists' want to find the hottest neighborhoods in Houston

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 01:55:37 GMT

Houston Healthy Cities Programs Director, Jaime González, hands out a sensors and materials bag to volunteer, Bob Deaver, on Thursday, August 6, 2020. Approximately 80 volunteers are participating in a study aimed at finding heat pockets around the city of Houston.

See the full gallery at The Houston Chronicle >>

Worth the sweat: Houston volunteer army maps heat islands

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 01:30:30 GMT

Today's forecast for Houston is typical for early August: hot and steamy, with a heat index of a suffocating 103 degrees Fahrenheit.

Access the article from ClimateWire at E&E News >>

NOAA is crowdsourcing a national urban heat map

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 01:25:38 GMT

Summers are getting hotter, but the heat is not being suffered equally. The urban heat island effect — a phenomenon in which traditional urban design features attract the sun’s rays, making some cities several degrees hotter than surrounding areas — disproportionately exposes urban residents to dangerous conditions and additional utility costs. Its effects also hit low-income residents the hardest.

A nationwide heat mapping effort taking place this Friday hopes to provide policymakers and the public with the most detailed information yet on the urban heat island effect in U.S. cities. The project was organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and involved training 80 volunteer community scientists who will hit the streets on Friday. Armed with atmospheric sensors, they will measure temperatures across 300 square miles in 13 cities including Seattle, Austin, Miami, Cincinnati, and New Orleans.

Read the full article on Grist >>

Exactly How Hot Is Houston? A New Study Will Map This Out.

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 01:33:57 GMT

It’s no secret that the climate in Houston is hot, but a new research study is set to look into exactly how hot – and the extent to which heat levels vary across the city. The Houston Harris Heat Action Team is leading the effort to create a heat map of the Houston area.

Jaime Gonzalez, director of Houston Healthy Cities programs for the Nature Conservancy, is working on the project. It is a “community science effort,” he told Texas Standard.

“The hope is, that Harris County and the City of Houston, both who are leading local resiliency efforts, working with private nonprofits and business interests, can all get together and identify: where are the real heat pockets in the city and the county; how are these impacting communities; particularly under-resourced communities?” Gonzalez said.

Read the full article or listen to the segment on The Texas Standard >>

Houston/Harris County To Hold Largest Single-Day, Community-Led Heat Mapping Effort In U.S. History

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 01:46:33 GMT

On August 7, right around when temperatures tend to hit their peak in Houston and Harris County, roughly 80 community scientists will take to the streets with specially-designed thermal sensors attached to their cars or bicycles. They will embark on a 300-square-mile effort to measure and map urban heat in the region. This community science endeavor is led by the Houston Harris Heat Action Team (H3AT), a collaboration between Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), the City of Houston, and Harris County Public Health (HCPH), and in partnership with Lowe's and Shell.

Houston and Harris County are currently facing a number of intersected climate resilience and health challenges—and one of the most significant, yet largely overlooked, is urban heat. Even for a Houstonian, it's easy to think first of flooding or hurricanes when it comes to regional climate impacts, but increases in daytime and nighttime temperatures at the rate we've seen since the 1970s can do as much—if not more—damage.

"Houstonians do not prepare for heat like we prepare for hurricanes, but we should," said Mayor Sylvester Turner. "Houston is getting hotter, and we need science and data to help identify where the greatest impacts are, so we can keep Houstonians safer and our City more resilient. I thank Heat Watch, Lowe's, Shell, and the Houston Harris Heat Action Team for partnering to do this extremely important work in our community."

Read the full statement on Patch.com >>

Heatwatch campaign video

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 01:04:41 GMT

Watch a video from the City of Miami on the 2020 Miami, Florida campaign >>

Humanizing Heat Data: Tools and Strategies

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 18:08:34 GMT

Pairing ground-sourced data with ground-sourced stories

July 10th, 2020 was hot. While two CAPA Heat Watch campaigns ran in Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, this CAPA employee was working remotely from the high desert mesa of Taos, NM three hundred miles away. Cars and bicycles traversed the streets of these southwest cities in record-breaking heat and high wind. And in Taos, we hunkered down in our earthship like outlaws from the omnipresent view of the sun, and waited for the cool evening air to provide relief.

CAPA is conducting thirteen Heat Watch campaigns in US cities this summer, gathering human-height level temperature and humidity data to inform adaptation and resilience efforts nationwide. While these data are essential for identifying where communities are being disproportionately affected by heat, it is equally essential that these data be paired with the voices of those experiencing that heat. A few campaigns running this summer have developed different methods to do exactly that.

The Heat Watch model is designed around involving community scientists - individual volunteers from the city drive or cycle around their own streets to collect high-resolution heat data. These data have been used for planning efforts, information campaigns, community outreach efforts and more. Increasingly, campaign organizers are identifying ways to integrate human perceptions earlier on in the Heat Watch process.

In New Orleans, campaign organizers are partnering with ISeeChange, a global community documenting and responding to climate change in neighborhoods and daily lives via an online forum.

“Every summer, ISeeChangers around the world share stories about heat — from biting into a warm watermelon, to how heat makes it more difficult to live with disabilities, to planting the right species of tree.” says Samantha Harrington, Digital Community Manager at ISeeChange.

Last summer Boston residents used ISeeChange to document what they saw as they participated in a CAPA heat mapping campaign led by the Museum of Science, and the organization is looking to do the same in New Orleans.

A handful of campaigners this summer will be examining heat on-the-ground in an additional activity, using Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) thermal imagery cameras to see live, visual depictions of surface temperatures in their environment. Attaching the simple camera to their smartphones, participants can see how temperatures along their campaign route vary between land-covers like concrete, greenery, and building structures. The images taken, such as below, will be shared amongst the campaign team and incorporated into the campaign outputs.

“By pairing high-resolution temperature and humidity data with human stories and experiences, we hope to better represent communities in planning efforts, and identify interventions that truly serve the needs and experiences of community members.” Says Vivek Shandas, CAPA Strategies Principal.

With or without additional tools or coordinated platforms, campaign participants are documenting their perceptions of heat in notes and sharing photos and stories via social media. Our Detroit campaign started its own Instagram page for sharing photos and updates, and our own Instagram and Twitter pages have been gaining traction as well.

Fortunately for this CAPA employee, the high desert cools off significantly at night. As long as we can find shade during the day - human-made or manufactured - the heat is tolerable. We are experimenting with trees and shade, wind and water to cultivate healthy spaces amidst heat. And for this Portland, OR-born Taoseño, learning about sun protection as well as what it’s like to see the sun in winter.

As we all adapt to the heat in our own communities during this summer of unprecedented challenges, we will continue to share stories both personal and professional. Do you have a heat story you would like to share with the network? Let us know at info@capastrategies.com.

RI launches “heat watch” team to analyze how extreme heat impacts urban areas

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 00:59:50 GMT

PROVIDENCE, RI (WLNE) – A program was launched Wednesday morning that will map out how extreme heat is impacting urban communities.

It’s called “Rhode Island Heat Watch.”

Volunteers are measuring heat and humidity in Providence, East Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls until midnight to see which areas are not cooling off enough during the night.

Rhode Island is the first state to collect heat distribution data during the night, according to RIDOH.

Read the full article and watch the video on Rhode Island News >>

King County, Seattle launch heat mapping project to identify effects of rising temperatures

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 01:16:52 GMT

Fifteen volunteers drove around King County and Seattle on Monday tracking the weather, as temperatures rose above 90 throughout the area.

The volunteers used a probe to figure out which areas suffer the most in hot weather.

"They will be driving around specific routes to kind of catch the difference. There can be up to a 20-degree difference between city blocks," said Jamie Stroble with the King County Climate Action Team.

Read the full article and watch the video on KING 5 >>

King County begins heat mapping to figure out which communities suffer most in hot weather

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 01:12:30 GMT

As the temperature soared over 90 degrees on Monday, several cars drove through parts of King County with what looks like a snorkel.

The simple unit includes a heat sensor and GPS.

Three times during the day, volunteers drove designated routes, taking surface temperature readings every second.

Read the full article and watch the segment at KIRO 7 >>

The Seattle area is in a ‘short-lived heat burst.’ Here’s how high temps could get and when things may cool off.

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 01:08:37 GMT

In preparation for increasingly warm summers, King County and Seattle announced Monday they’re launching a heat-mapping project to identify which areas are “most likely to experience the harmful health effects of rising temperatures,” according to a joint statement from the county’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks and the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment.

The data, which will be recorded at three different times of day, will then be used to create an area map that’ll help local officials decide what actions to take to “prepare the region as climate change contributes to hotter summers,” according to the statement.

These heat mitigation strategies actions could include tree planting, community cooling centers and energy efficiency retrofits, the statement said.

“We know that our Black, Indigenous, and people of color neighbors are disproportionately burdened by climate change and extreme heat events,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said in the statement. “As our communities speak up and demand that we better address systemic racism, we must prioritize projects that identify and address the inequitable burden placed on our communities of color.”

Read the full article at The Seattle Times >>

Texas Heat-Mapping Project is largest ever

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 01:40:29 GMT

HOUSTON – As climate change relentlessly drives up summer temperatures, the city of Houston and Harris County will learn their hottest spots next month with aid from local residents.

A heat-mapping project is designed to help communities reshape themselves with the goal of cooling off urban environments.

Read the full article and listen to the segment on The Public News Service >>

Your City in 5 - July 18, 2020

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 02:26:03 GMT

Your City in 5 is a regional update video by the City of El Paso, TX.

This edition of YC5 contains information on:

· No Appointment Needed for COVID-19 Testing

· Beat the Heat at Cooling Stations

· Extreme Heat Safety Reminders

· Extreme Heat Used to Gather Data

· Stop the Funk; Clean Tash Bins

· Coyote Pup Released

· Teen Court Generous Gift

View the full video here >>

Citizen Scientists to Map Urban Heat Islands in Detroit This Summer

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 02:35:35 GMT

Volunteers will spread out across Detroit this summer to take the city’s temperature — literally.

A citizen-led science project will use specially designed sensors to measure heat and humidity differences in certain parts of Detroit. The goal is to identify and map what scientists call “urban heat islands.”

Listen to the segment and read the full article at WDET Detroit >>

City of El Paso maps hottest places in region

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 02:31:58 GMT

The city of El Paso took advantage of Friday's extreme heat to collect data on temperature and humidity in the region.

"We actually selected this day on conjunction with the National Weather Service in El Paso so we can actually have very good data," explained Fernando Liano, the city's sustainability coordinator.

Small thermal sensors are attached to the bikes and cars of volunteers in order to collect the data.

Watch the full video and read the article at KFOX 14 >>

Texas cities join mapping project in effort to fight urban heat islands

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:56:10 GMT

Heat kills more people than any other weather-related hazard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extreme heat kills more than 600 people in the United States each year.

Rising temperatures fueled by climate change disproportionately affect urban areas, with marginalized communities often feeling the heat more. In 2018 Harris County had 15 heat-related deaths, and Jessica Abbinett, climate program coordinator for Harris County Public Health, told Texas Climate News she expects to see more days exceed the threshold for heat advisories and warnings in the future.

To help cope with increasing heat, Houston and Harris County are participating in an Urban Heat Island Mapping project coordinated by the federal government’s National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS).

Read the full article on our 2020 Texas campaigns at Texas Climate News >>

Making Urban Heat “Cool” Again

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 02:00:56 GMT

It’s no secret that Houston is hot, but the latest trends show it’s getting hotter. Last August, Houston experienced seven days in a row topping 100 degrees, with all but two days that month meeting or exceeding the average maximum temperature for that day. If we pull back the lens even further, 2019 was the second warmest year on record globally, and the past five years have been the warmest five. With social distancing from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic limiting how and where we stay cool, the impacts of urban heat are more important than ever.

So, where do we begin? Earlier this year, Resilient Houston laid out a number of strategies to make Houston a more climate adaptive city, including “Action 16: Make Houston Neighborhoods Greener and Cooler to Combat Extreme Heat.” This action will begin with an initiative to measure and map urban heat in Houston and Harris County through a citizen science mapping campaign.

Read the full article at HARCResearch.org >>

How Hot Is Your Neighborhood? Houston To Map Temperature “Hot Spots” This Summer

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 02:03:53 GMT

Houston is one of 13 cities that will take part in a federal program this summer to map out temperature "hot spots."

Run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the project aims to create a heat map for the city and identify how temperatures differ by neighborhood.

Dense areas with fewer trees and more concrete tend to be hotter than other parts of the city. Past studies have shown temperatures can vary up to 20 degrees in one city — and that low-income communities of color tend to bear the brunt of the heat.

"Comparing somewhere like River Oaks with somewhere like Gulfton or Baytown, there's definitely going to be more of an impact felt in those communities that have less green space," said Meredith Jennings with the HARC research hub, which is working with city and county officials to implement the project.

Read the full article on Houston Public Media >>

As Summer Grips Austin, City Plans To Map 'Heat Islands'

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:51:32 GMT

This year, as the hottest days of summer clutch Texas in a fiery embrace, a team of volunteers will fan out through Austin neighborhoods to take the temperature of the city.

The endeavor is part of an urban heat mapping project, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that aims to present a clearer picture of what parts of town get the hottest and who is most affected.

Read the full article at KUT 90.5 Austin >>

How Hot Is Your Neighborhood? Houston To Map Temperature “Hot Spots” This Summer

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:44:48 GMT

Houston is one of 13 cities that will take part in a federal program this summer to map out temperature "hot spots."

Run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the project aims to create a heat map for the city and identify how temperatures differ by neighborhood.

Read the full article on our 2020 Houston campaign on Houston Public Media >>

Scenario Responses for Heat Watch Campaign Organizers

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 18:12:03 GMT

Like preparing for climate change, being adaptive is essential for a successful community heat-mapping campaign. What is the appropriate action that you, the local organizer of a Heat Watch campaign, can take in response to unexpected weather and other events? Based on our experience with former campaign cities, we offer advice on five of the most common scenarios that can occur during Heat Watch campaigns.

Read the article »

Coronavirus Makes Cooling Centers Risky, Just as Scorching Weather Hits

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 06 May 2020 18:16:43 GMT

As heatwaves hit across the country, officials are struggling to provide the relief for those who need it. Prior solutions such as cooling centers are now potentially unsafe due to the social distancing measures required by the COVID-19 crisis. So, what do we do instead?

This article includes research from multiple CAPA/ NIHHIS network members, including Robert Blain, the Administrative Officer and Lead for the Jackson, MS heat campaign; Alicia Zatcoff, Sustainability Manager for Richmond, VA; Jeremy Hoffman with the Science Museum of Virginia; Francisco Sanchez, Deputy Emergency Management with Harris County, TX; and Vivek Shandas, Principal of CAPA Strategies and Professor at Portland State University (OR).

Read the article »

NOAA-funded 2020 Heat Campaigns Announced

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 18:23:09 GMT

Through a peer-review process, NOAA’s Climate Program Office (CPO) selected thirteen community partners in cities across the U.S. to receive funding support to perform a community science urban heat island (UHI) mapping campaign this summer. Successful applicants showed an urgent need for the mapping campaigns to help them understand and mitigate their exposure to extreme heat, identified strong local partnerships, and mapped out applications for the data and newly developed community capacity in advance.

Read the article »

Racist Housing Policies Have Created Dangerous Heat Islands

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 18:20:40 GMT

Ongoing research into historic redlining practices and current urban heat islands in Portland, Oregon, shows that areas of higher vulnerability -- including race -- can be as much as 18 °F hotter than other parts of the city. Overlapping this reality with social isolation due to COVID-19 is having disastrous consequences.

Read the article »

Maintaining Public Health in Planning 2020 Heat-Mapping Campaigns

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 18:48:53 GMT

CAPA Heat Watch was founded on the basis of informing decisions to protect the public’s health. Now as we face the threat of COVID-19, we are considering the intersections between climate-related hazards and public health crises. Whether communities are forced inside due to ‘physical distancing’ required by local, State, or Federal laws, or if an oppressive heat wave keeps communities from venturing outside their homes, such events underscore the principles upon which CAPA was born: understanding hazards, preparedness planning, and local actions to increase resilience.

More practically, and in relation to the coming summer heat campaigns, many of which have been planned for over a year, NOAA’s Climate Program Office, National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS), and CAPA’s Heat Watch program staff are aware of the dangers of COVID-19 and are implementing safety measures in this year’s community science campaigns to allow U.S. cities to map their hot spots without contributing to the spread of the disease. Thus, we plan to continue our operations as long as our partner cities are willing and able to do the same.

Read the full statement on COVID-19 and Heat Campaigns at the link below.

Read the article »

Learn, Prepare, Act: “Throwing Shade” on Climate Change

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 18:44:15 GMT

Science and technology centers continue to emerge as hubs for building climate change and resiliency literacy in communities around the United States. What’s less clear, however, is how these institutions foster and sustain climate action based on this acquired literacy.

The Science Museum of Virginia developed, delivered, and evaluated climate science and resiliency-themed programming over a three year period, connecting with audiences from “K to grey.” Hyper-localization of climate change, accomplished by leading a small-scale community-based participatory research campaign (also known as “citizen science”) to assess the City of Richmond’s urban heat island effect, improved audience literacy and recall of adaptation and resilience solutions. Read more at the link below.

Read the article »

Launching a heat campaign? Start by setting your goals

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 18:36:39 GMT

As we dive into campaign season, establishing solid goals will guide your actions from the beginning right up through opportunities to implement your campaign results. Based on past campaigns, we can offer a few considerations to guide your goal setting process.

Read the article »

Tips for Building Your Team

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 19:25:11 GMT

To help you convene a strong core team, engage enthusiastic volunteers, and get people who will enact solutions invested in your campaign, we offer team-building tips from previous years' heat-mapping teams.

Read the article »

Webinar: Mapping Urban Heat with Community Science, Machine Learning, and Remote Sensing

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 19:32:48 GMT

Vivek Shandas, founder of CAPA Strategies, describes the motivation and methods behind CAPA Heat Watch urban heat mapping campaigns. Use your email address to register to watch the 1-hour session.

Read the article »

Applying for NIHHIS Funding? FAQ

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 19:28:48 GMT

The 2020 Urban Heat Mapping project is seeking proposals from groups who will map urban heat and use the maps to take action to reduce the risk of heat illness in their communities. We've compiled answers to proposers' Frequently Asked Questions to assist you in your planning.

Read the article »

O‘ahu Community Heat Map

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:21:53 GMT

Follow this link to access the interactive webmap and Heat Watch report from the 2019 O'ahu Campaign.

Mayor says 2019 was Oahu’s hottest year ever and shares heat index mapping results

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:20:56 GMT

Follow this link to access the full article on the 2019 Heat Watch campaign in O'ahu, Hawai'i.

Where Were O‘ahu’s Hottest Spots on the Hottest Day in 2019?

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 00:19:32 GMT

Follow this link to access the full article on the 2019 Heat Watch campaign in O'ahu, Hawai'i.

Honolulu Has Mapped Just How Hot Oahu Is Now

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 00:17:58 GMT

Follow this link to access the full article on the 2019 Heat Watch campaign in O'ahu, Hawai'i.

Racist Housing Practices From The 1930s Linked To Hotter Neighborhoods Today

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 19:50:43 GMT

Inequitable heat distribution in our cities is nothing new - much of it can be traced back to deeply racist housing policies whose effect remains today. Listen to the full story published by NPR of our own Dr. Vivek Shandas' research alongside Portland State University, VA Commonwealth University, and the Science Museum of Virginia at the link below. ⁠

Read the article »

Boston residents and the Museum of Science map a warming city

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 04:01:17 GMT

Fershid Aspi spent many summer days waiting to cross the street at an intersection in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood. He described the intersection as “barren.” With no trees, but plenty of pavement, the wait became unbearably hot.

Aspi, who has lived in Boston for over three decades, said that summer hot spells seem to be getting hotter and lasting longer – and he’s right: In 2019, the National Weather Service recorded 15 days above 90°F in Boston, a 4.7 day increase from the city’s 1980-2010 average.

“You get the feeling that air conditioning back in the 90s was nice to have, but now it’s necessary, while you don’t need it the whole summer, there are these extreme hot spells,” Aspi said.

The increasing severity, length and frequency of heat waves poses heightened risks to the health of residents. Heat exposure kills more people in the U.S. than all natural disasters combined. According to the Climate and Health Assessment, it is very likely that the number of summertime heat-related deaths increases by thousands to tens of thousands in the U.S. by the end of the century.

Read the full article on ISeeChange >>

Mapping Boston Hot Spots, Block By Block

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 01:37:27 GMT

While you’re layering on sweaters and pulling out winter coats, many in the urban planning world are thinking about heat. That's because cities — with all their buildings and pavement — tend to get hotter than surrounding areas during the day, and stay hotter at night.

Extreme heat can be dangerous, even deadly. It currently kills hundreds of Americans every summer and sends tens of thousands more to the emergency room. And climate change is making the problem worse — last July was the hottest on record. Boston currently experiences about a dozen days over 90 degrees every summer. By 2100, the city could get 90 days above 90 degrees, making it feel more like Birmingham, Alabama.

This coming change has public health officials worried. But in order to prevent heat-related illnesses, cities and communities first need to know exactly where the hot spots are. Last summer, the Museum of Science embarked on a citizen science project to do just that.

Read the full article or listen to the segment at WBUR Boston >>

Where Do We Need Shade? Mapping Urban Heat Islands in Richmond, Virginia

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 23:41:25 GMT

Follow this link for the full article on our 2017 Richmond, VA campaign.

Can We Turn Down the Temperature on Urban Heat Islands?

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 19:35:39 GMT

Last week, Yale Environment 360 published a new article asking "Can We Turn Down the Temperature on Urban Heat Islands?"

The wide-ranging article, featuring UHI scientists Vivek Shandas and Jeremy Hoffman, shares projections for future heat wave deaths, reveals six things that affect urban heat, recounts a few surprises learned from on-the-ground heat mapping campaigns, and discusses some of the changes necessary to decrease deaths from extreme heat.

Read the article »

Modeling 'Urban Heat Futures'

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 19:50:44 GMT

Climate disruption is the greatest existential threat to our time. Understanding it alone does not provide the actionable steps for reducing potential threats.

A recently published article in Atmosphere explores what some of the actions communities might take to reduce ambient heat look like and how effective they might be. The study seeks to catalyze our understandings of urban heat and nature-based designs; the goal is to describe the measurable impact various strategies might have in helping to safeguard communities from amplifying temperatures.

The article discusses the applications of a microclimate modeling system that examines, at city-block scales, the varying implications of nature-based designs for ameliorating extreme heat. By examining six diverse land uses in Portland, Oregon, and tailoring the approach for distinct landscapes, the study fills a gap at the center of current challenges facing urban planning: how can we best prepare the built environment for extreme heat?

While the study presents a case study for Portland, Oregon, CAPA analysts are currently applying a similar approach to two more CAPA Urban Heat mapping campaign participants from 2018: Washington D.C. and Richmond, VA.

The CAPA team anticipates expanding these services to all other 2019 Heat Watch cities, and are ready to address these challenges together with you.

Explore a demo of the modelling system through CAPA's Insights service »

Got hot spots? Grow some shade.

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 22:55:45 GMT

One of the most effective and simple ways to reduce urban heat is through tree canopy and vegetative cover. In Oregon, Portland State University and Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry partnered to evaluate ways to equitably increase the city's urban tree canopy.

Check out how the city's heat map has been used for planning decisions in the Branch Out PDX project.

Watch a video that shows how Branch Out PDX's Planting Map is helping people identify specific parcels for potential tree planting »

(Editor's note: I think this video is worth every one of the 6+ minutes it takes to watch)

Read the Branch Out PDX final report, Growing a more equitable urban forest: Portland’s citywide tree planting strategy »

CODE RED Baltimore's Climate Divide

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 00:20:44 GMT

URBAN HEAT ISLANDS VIVIDLY ILLUSTRATE the price humans will pay in the world’s growing climate crisis. With an abundance of concrete and little shade, they get hotter faster and stay hotter longer. And the people who live there are often sicker, poorer and less able to protect themselves.

Rising temperatures in these neighborhoods will mean more trips to the hospital for heart, kidney and lung ailments. Drugs to treat mental illness and diabetes won’t work as well. Pregnant women will give birth to children with more medical problems.

Solutions exist. But growing more trees, repairing the frayed social fabric of a neighborhood or rebuilding streets and sidewalks to reflect heat are expensive — and take time. For cities like Baltimore, the clock is ticking.

Explore the interactive webstory building off findings from our Baltimore campaign >>

As Rising Heat Bakes U.S. Cities, The Poor Often Feel It Most

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 23:22:54 GMT

Follow this link to access the full article on the 2018 Heat Watch campaign in Baltimore, MD and findings from other cities as well.

Study shows gaps between perceived and actual vulnerability to heat

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 19:47:19 GMT

As the dog days of summer roll across the Northern hemisphere, we each have a renewed perspective on how best to get through them combined with gratitude that we don't live somewhere hotter. Those in the hottest spots tend to have great suggestions for how best to cope, whether it's sipping an ice cold lemonade, lounging in the air conditioning, or finding a nice swimming hole. A new study shows , however, that even in the hottest areas, different groups perceive the dangers of heat differently. It also shows that those of us who think we're pretty safe from the worst effects of heat are likely the least aware of how dangerous heat can be, and this phenomenon is going to prove increasingly critical as temperatures continue to rise.

Pairing social vulnerability indices with on-the-ground measurements of heat is essential to understanding who is at the highest risk for heat-related health issues. This new study adds that different vulnerable populations perceive their own risk differently. The study shows that low-income urban residents perceive their risk pretty accurately, but the elderly tend to underestimate the dangers of heat, despite being one of the populations most vulnerable to heat's effects. This information will be vital for preparing public awareness campaigns and intervention efforts. A uniform approach isn't likely to be effective across varying groups, and tailoring messages to address variations in perception of heat risk can help increase their efficacy.

The authors of the study also produced a visualization of how these perceptions vary by geography , and the findings aren't entirely what you'd expect. While pockets in the deep south are well aware of the dangers of heat, there are areas of both low perception in hot areas and high perception in more temperate areas. Understanding how recent events and social climates affect perceptions, as well as whether historic preparations or experiences have influenced these populations can influence strategies as well.

As you explore these resources (ideally while sipping lemonade in the shade), consider if you perceive heat to be a risk to your health, and if so, why? If not, why? What experiences have you had or heard about that influenced your perception, and what would be helpful to share with others?

Summer in the City Is Hot, but Some Neighborhoods Suffer More

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 19:48:41 GMT

On Friday, August 9, as a wide swath of the contiguous United States was bracing for extreme heat, the New York Times published an article with detailed heat maps of five cities.

The article features Dr. Vivek Shandas, Principal Investigator of NOAA's Urban Heat Island mapping study. The reporters also interviewed representatives of each of the five cities about their plans for using heat maps to address their urban heat islands.

Read the article »

What if things don’t go as planned?

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 19:49:33 GMT

Vivek Shandas, Principal Investigator of the Urban Heat Island Mapping project, describes why rain is an issue for heat mapping. He also offers advice about how you might recover if it rains on your mapping date.

Your contract is in place and you've mapped out your areas of interest. You’ve checked your forecast and selected a clear, hot day. The equipment has arrived and your volunteers are ready to roll. What could possibly go wrong? Rain.

Unlike other environmental monitoring activities that occur over weeks, months, or years, we designed our urban heat island mapping campaigns to be completed in a single day. Unfortunately, even a short rain shower on that day will interfere with the quality of your campaign’s data.

Here’s why: solar energy from the sun pours down on everything, but human-built objects such as buildings, roadways, and bridges absorb and release energy differently than living things such as trees, bushes, and grass. All objects absorb shortwave energy from the sun, and then re-radiate it out as long-wave energy. In general, however, human-built objects are still releasing heat energy into the evening, well after vegetation and the surrounding air have cooled down.

But rain changes things. You may have noticed that even a brief summer rain can zap the heat from warm surfaces; walls and sidewalks that were too hot to touch before a shower cool down almost instantly compared to when they remain dry. The heat energy these objects would normally release over a longer period goes to evaporate the water, cooling their surfaces.

That means if you’re attempting to map your city’s heat three times in one day, and rain falls during or between traverses, the surface temperatures have been “reset” for the day. Even if the rain doesn’t last long and everything is dry again before the next traverse, surfaces will cool off significantly, and you won’t get an accurate profile of temperatures over a full day. Additionally, the sensors used for mapping heat are not designed to work in wet conditions. To adhere to the scientific protocols set for these campaigns, data collected during rain or when rain occurred between traverses is not useable.

If you have completed one or two traverses and Mother Nature conspires against you by sprinkling the area with water, your best response will be to start over again, re-running the morning, afternoon, and evening traverses on another hot, clear day. If you can’t make that happen, consider conducting the remaining traverse(s) the very next day, assuming it remains relatively hot and clear. If you end up needing to reschedule, look for a day that is not too far into the future, so that you can maintain the momentum of your volunteers' enthusiasm. And if you could use some expert assistance selecting mapping dates, consider contacting your regional Weather Forecast Office (see previous article).

Recall the words of the famous meteorologist, Ella Fitzgerald, in her 1944 song, “Upon each life some rain must fall.” While we hope the rain that falls in your life comes at a good time, we encourage you to persevere if it doesn’t. The adaptations you make to get high quality data from your campaign will help you remain agile in the face of rapid changes in our climate system – a condition that we will increasingly need to become comfortable with.

Good luck out there – rain or shine!

‘Wicked Hot Boston' Study to Find Warmest Spots in City

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 00:27:38 GMT

The Museum of Science has enlisted the help of dozens of volunteers to map the hottest spots in the Greater Boston area during this week's heat wave.

In cities, hot weather is magnified by what is known as the "urban heat island" effect, which essentially means that the city's buildings and streets retain more heating than rural parts of the state. Now, researchers want to know which locations get the hottest and display them on a map.

"Our maps are going to show you, neighborhood by neighborhood, where in downtown Boston is a hot spot, what areas are hot and what areas are cooler," explained Sara Benson, who has been helping leading the "Wicked Hot Boston" study.

Read the full article and watch the video at NBC 10 Boston >>

Groundwork Hudson Valley, City of Yonkers, citizen scientists team up to map extreme heat

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 23:24:22 GMT

Follow this link to view the full article on our 2019 Yonkers, NY and 2017 Richmond, VA campaigns.

Volunteers Seek to Find Hottest Parts of Boston

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 00:33:06 GMT

The Boston area is bracing for another potential heat wave this week, bringing back health worries for those living without air conditioning.

In cities, hot weather like this is magnified by what’s known as the "Urban Heat Island" effect. Essentially the streets and buildings retain heat more than say rural areas covered by grass and trees.

On one day earlier this month, partially because of this warming effect, Boston’s overnight low temperature didn’t dip below 83 degrees. That set a new all time warm overnight low temperature record. And more of this is likely as the world continues to warm in coming decades.

Read the full article and watch the video on our Boston campaign at NECN Boston >>

Washington, D.C. heat map featured in National Geographic Magazine

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 19:55:47 GMT

A recent article highlights last summer's Urban Heat Island mapping campaign in Washington, D.C. The article shows a heat map produced using data gathered by citizen scientists in August 2018. The map documents temperatures spanning almost 17 degrees between the hottest and coolest areas of the city.

CAPA Strategies processed the data to produce a high-resolution heat map. National Geographic used the data to produce this visualization.

Access the National Geographic Article »

View full-resolution heat maps for Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD on Climate.gov »

Building on the results of community heat mapping efforts

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 19:57:27 GMT

Building on the results of community heat mapping efforts

Following successful completion of an urban heat mapping campaign in Portland, Oregon in 2016, the map produced through the community effort was used in a study on effective ways to cool the city's urban areas. The study, requested by the City of Portland, shows the substantial cooling effect of planting trees and vegetation in urban areas.

The study informed decision makers in Portland how adding vegetation, using reflective material on hard surfaces, and installing green roofs on buildings can cool urban heat islands, as much as 25 degrees in some spots.

Access an interactive map to compare future temperatures in Portland with greening versus paving »

Access a summary of the study »

Access the full study »

Ciencias Médicas lidera creación de mapa de calor intra-urbano en Puerto Rico

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 23:29:12 GMT

Follow this link to access the full article on the 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico campaign.

Portland State study shows ways to reduce extreme heat in city neighborhoods

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 23:29:50 GMT

Follow this link to the full article on the 2014 Portland, Oregon campaign.

Case Study – Hermasillo

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 31 May 2019 02:34:05 GMT

Metro Area | 6 cities, 42 people miles sq, 2932821 people, 69,249 sq miles

City | 870,096 people, 29% poverty

Rainfall | 11.02 in

Elevation | 690 ft

Temp | 47 Jan – 102 July

Biome | Desert Scrub

Ecoregion | Sonoran desert

Extreme Events | Urban Heat Waves, Urban Runoff, Drought

Surrounded by sea, desert, and mountains, Sonora’s capital of Hermosillo is heralded as one of Mexico’s most livable, economically competitive, and fast-growing cities. Hermosillo’s hot desert climate means its inhabitants are no stranger to heat and aridity, and while traditional building materials are well-suited for keeping populations cool, industrialization and increasing strain on the city’s natural resources requires identifying strategies for reduce the adverse effects of climate-induced stressors. Hermosillo is also struggling to accommodate rapid in-migration despite dangerously decreasing water availability. Together with the heightened intensity and frequency of heat events due to climate change offers both dangers and opportunities for the City of the Sun.

In collaboration with the City’s Municipal Institute of Urban Planning (Implan), the University of Sonora, and the Technological Institute of Sonora, we visited Hermosillo in the summer of 2017 to determine where extreme heat can amplify vulnerabilities to communities. The resulting heat maps were telling – while the morning sun warmed the metropolis from La Manga to El Alamito Buenavista, by evening the urban core had retained heat much higher than the surrounding area.

Between the broad, paved streets and car-centric layout, residents in the hottest areas of the region face dangerous conditions of hot nights and deteriorated air quality.

But Implan’s municipal officials are looking to take action. They’ve developed infographics [link] to communicate the risks of heat exposure to the community, pointing out where the hottest parts of the city are, and giving concrete tips for combatting heat. They also expect to apply cooling strategies [such as reducing albedo and planting trees] to the local Urban Development Program and Construction Regulations, ensuring not just increased awareness for residents today but improved quality of life for residents into the future.

http://marquesinapolitica.com/?p=126238

http://www.expreso.com.mx/seccion/hermosillo/18489-realizaran-mapeo-de-hermosillo-para-detectar-ondas-de-calor.html

http://www.20minutos.com.mx/noticia/237368/0/en-hermosillo-realizaran-mapeo-de-ondas-de-calor/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5KIoe_sAdI

http://hermosillolife.com/hmo/32951

Case Study - Portland

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 16 May 2019 02:40:08 GMT

City | Aging population, housing state of emergency since 2015, gentrification, 17.8% below poverty

Rainfall | 35.98 in

Elevation | 157 ft

Temp | 36 Jan 81 July

Biome | Warm temperate moist forest

Ecoregion | Willamette Valley

Extreme Events | Urban flooding, extreme heat

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

Largely known for its lush canopy and robust sustainability efforts, Portland, Oregon has been planning for climate action since 1993. In the summer of 2015, CAPA was able to assess the effects of these efforts, and in 2018 published findings on how these effects are distributed alongside socio-economic status. This resulted in clear, actionable areas for climate planning moving forward.

It’s clear Portland’s tree-lined neighborhoods have a strong effect on heat. While the shaded West Hills area felt the strong morning sun on that summer day in 2015, as the hours passed the area cooled off comfortably. This area also happens to be one of the city’s wealthiest.

On the same day, other parts of the city such as the asphalt-covered airport were as much as fifteen degrees warmer.

Travel east where both rents and canopy cover are significantly lower, and the effect on temperature in the city is equally intuitive. Automotive thoroughfares and large blocks of commercial developments get hot and stay hot. Newer developments with unestablished trees or increased hardscapes retain heat long into the evening. This means that those that already have to live farther away from the city center due to affordability also need to pay more for cooling costs, and this can have an effect on health.

Citywide, study results show significant relationships between heat exposure and populations that are low-income, non-white, minimally-educated, or poor English speakers; all of these socio-demographic groups, as well as those living in affordable housing, experience higher temperatures than their wealthy, white, educated, English-speaking counterparts. Fortunately, the isolated elderly – one of the highest-risk groups for heat exposure – did not significantly correlate with higher temperature areas.

Portland has an established network of public cooling centers for those that do not have sufficient cooling in their homes – a particular necessity for families with young children, who were found to be the least likely to have air conditioning units. These cooling centers, however, are most numerous in North and Northeast Portland, while the farthest eastern and western regions of the city offer fewer options for public refuge. Of all demographic groups, Asians and the elderly have the lowest accessibility to public heat refuges, whereas black populations have the highest access.

This research gives a clear direction for where future climate adaptation efforts need to be made to resolve the inequities of current heat distribution, and provides solid evidence for why these actions are so important. We are excited to continue working in the City of Roses to affect positive change for those most affected by urban heat, and to be able to see as well as feel the effects of our city’s efforts in the future.

https://katu.com/news/local/urban-heat-island-effect-grows-in-portland

https://www.opb.org/news/article/mapping-portlands-hottest-places/

Case Study - Baltimore and DC

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 02 May 2019 02:41:50 GMT

Metro Area | 6 cities, 1065 people miles sq., 2770738 people, 2601 sq miles

City | 72% minority, 622,104 people, $42,266 median income, 23% poverty, extreme heat events nearly every summer, hurricanes

Rainfall | 40.72 in

Elevation | 36 ft

Temp | 29 Jan 89 July

Biome | Warm temperate moist forest

Ecoregion | Chesapeake rolling coastal plain

Extreme events | River related precipitation-driven storms, extreme heat, tidal flooding and storm surges associated with hurricanes

City | Population 693,972; 11,367 people per square mile; 47.1% Black or African American, 45.1% White (36.8% non-Hispanic White), 4.3% Asian, 0.6% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Individuals from two or more races made up 2.7% of the population. Hispanics of any race made up 11.0% of the District’s population.

Rainfall | 40.78 in

Elevation | 410 ft

Temp | 27 Jan, 87 July

Biome | Humid subtropical

Ecoregion | mid-Atlantic

Extreme events | Extreme heat, stormwater flooding, sea level rise

In the summer of 2018, the CAPA Heat Watch Team visited the East Coast of the United States to record heat distribution in the nation’s capital and along the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore, MD. These areas are a hotbed of rapid urban development, transportation infrastructure, and high population density, providing a microcosm of the urban issues facing cities across the US. And it’s only getting hotter.

For this campaign, CAPA joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on a 20-person heat watch of the city’s streets, recording where the heat collected and where it did – or did not – dissipate.

After assembling a network of campaign volunteers and organizations, a two-hour campaign orientation session was conducted to introduce the volunteer teams to the physical phenomenon of urban heat islands, outlined several case studies of previous successful campaigns in other cities and their outcomes, and gave detailed explanations of and hands-on experiences with the campaign technology. The volunteer teams then ventured out on their own traverses, returning the sensors and data to the analysis team at the end of the day.

The findings reflected patterns seen in cities across the country. City planning and investments showed a stark effect on the felt environment – during the hottest part of the day, temperatures in Baltimore varied some sixteen degrees within a couple miles. In Washington DC, there was a difference of nearly twenty degrees.

Forested and otherwise vegetated areas were cooler than urbanized areas; lower-density urban areas were often cooler than high-density urban areas; and major arterial roadways were consistently warmer. Some of the most famous buildings in the nation’s capital – The White House, U.S. Capital and The Pentagon – are located in areas that have the highest temperatures in the city and surrounding areas.

In Baltimore especially, the heat – like the crime, lower income, and communities of color – was concentrated in the city center. And the hottest areas were found to overlap with higher rates of heat-related 911 calls, researchers found.

Beyond walkability, living in this concentrated heat may bring more than just discomfort. Heat affects health. It also affects crime and aggressive behavior. And increasingly, research is showing ties to anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Whether or not an apartment has a tree outside its window is much more than an aesthetic preference – it can mean lower grades and increased risk of heart failure. Heat can worsen underlying health conditions such as heart or lung disease, and can sicken or kill people by causing heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat was a factor in 25 deaths in Maryland in 2018. Most of the deaths occurred in Baltimore.

The Baltimore segregation ordinance was the first of its kind in the United States, and it can still be seen today via heat maps. This blatant inequity is an ideal opportunity for intervention – by investing in the communities that have been disadvantaged for generations by things as simple as planting trees, one can affect everything from health and happiness to climate adaptation and the ability for these communities to stay in place as conditions change.

Baltimore also held heat in wealthier areas with views of the bay. Coupling heat data with other climatic risks, such as sea level rise and stormwater flooding, may have drastic impacts on real estate development and adaptation strategies for these waterfront areas.

With this research, city planners and community organizations have an opportunity to make the Monumental City a monument to informed, data-driven, and equitable climate adaptation and the nation’s capitol a testament to the adaptation potential of the American people. We look forward to working with these cities to increase their resilience to climate effects, and share their efforts with other cities.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/weather-blog/bs-md-heat-island-research-20180827-story.html

https://wjla.com/news/local/temperature-readings-display-hottest-coolest-areas-in-dc

https://www.wusa9.com/video/news/local/dcs-hottest-areas-are-also-some-of-its-most-impoverished/65-8282901

Study shows White House, Pentagon are literally some of the hottest spots in Washington DC

Hot days in the city? It’s all about exact location

On sizzling summer days, Northeast DC heats up the most, NOAA analysis shows

Uneven heat: researchers say some Baltimore blocks 16 degrees hotter

http://www.nydailynews.com/bs-md-heat-island-results-20181012-story.html

WBGT Tool

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 19:44:19 GMT

National Weather Service Heat Index Chart. Click the image to learn more about Heat Index.

Heat index values acknowledge that humidity increases human discomfort, but they still don’t tell the whole story of how hot it feels. The table above shows heat index values calculated for “shady, light wind conditions.” If you’re in direct sunshine, or if the air is perfectly still (no breeze), you’ll feel even hotter than the heat index indicates. When heat index values soar, shade and a light breeze are your best bet for cooling down outdoors.

Efforts to quantify how sunshine and wind affect the "feels like" temperature are not yet widespread, but a group in North Carolina is working to integrate these factors into forecasts for athletes in Virginia and North Carolina. Their Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measures the heat stress on a body by combining temperature, humidity, wind speed, and the intensity of sunlight.

Learn more about the WBGT tool »

Temperature readings display hottest, coolest areas in DC

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 23:59:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (ABC7) — Johnny Woods has done work in the Bloomingdale neighborhood for years.

“Back in the day, I used to do a lot of work on the two houses over there,” he said, pointing down the street as he leaned against his truck.

Read the full article and watch the video on ABC 7 >>

Study shows White House, Pentagon are literally some of the hottest spots in Washington

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 23:49:39 GMT

A heat-mapping study of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore by Portland State University researchers show that some of the most famous buildings in the nation's capital – The White House, U.S. Capital and The Pentagon – are located in areas that have the highest temperatures in the city and surrounding areas.

Read the full article on phys.org.

Hot Days in the City? It’s All about Exact Location

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 00:04:30 GMT

In late August, citizen scientists took to the streets to collect real-time data about the hottest places in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Their efforts paid off and new maps were released today showing that, on one of the hottest days of summer, people in some Baltimore neighborhoods sweltered in temperatures of 103 degrees F, some 16 degrees higher than the coolest parts of the city at the same time in the afternoon.

A similar pattern took place in D.C. a day earlier when temperatures soared to 102 degrees F in several neighborhoods, while other parts of the city were 17 degrees cooler.

Read the full article on our 2018 Baltimore, MD and Washington D.C. campaigns on WeatherNation >>

Uneven heat: Researchers say some Baltimore blocks were 16 degrees hotter than others during August heat wave

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 00:10:03 GMT

On one of Baltimore's hottest days this past summer, the city baked at 98 degrees — according to the official reading at the Inner Harbor.

But at the same time, it was 87 degrees in leafy Leakin Park. And the mercury rose to 103 degrees in neighborhoods such as East Baltimore's McElderry Park and Middle East.

A team of volunteers gathered the measurements Aug. 29 as part of a research project studying urban “heat islands.”

Read the full article and watch the video on the Baltimore Sun >>

DC's hottest areas are also some of its most impoverished

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 23:55:13 GMT

A NOAA researcher is concerned for some of DC's poorest now that the results are in from a D.C. heat study. He and a group of citizen scientists surveyed the District's "Heat Islands" last August and they match up with some of DC's poorest neighborhoods.

Watch the video on WUSA9 here >>

Some Baltimore blocks could be 15 degrees hotter than others. Mapping them could help address heat hazards.

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 00:14:43 GMT

Temperatures in Baltimore officially peaked at 98 degrees Wednesday. But some city blocks might have baked at temperatures as much as 10 to 15 degrees higher.

In the high heat of the afternoon, a team of researchers and volunteers crisscrossed the city in cars equipped with temperature sensors to find out just how hot it gets, and where.

Read the full article and watch the video on The Baltimore Sun >>

Some Baltimore blocks could be 15 degrees hotter than others. Mapping them could help address heat hazards.

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 23:25:43 GMT

Follow this link to read the full article on the 2018 Baltimore, Maryland campaign.

Urban 'heat island' effect grows in Portland

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 23:37:19 GMT

Follow this link for the full article on results from our Portland, Oregon campaign.

En Hermosillo realizarán mapeo de ondas de calor

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 23:27:13 GMT

Follow this link for the full article on our 2017 Hermosillo, Mexico campaign.

Estudiarán el calor de Hermosillo

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 23:26:24 GMT

Follow this link to access a video from the 2017 Hermosillo, Mexico campaign.

Realizarán mapeo de Hermosillo para detectar ondas de calor

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 23:27:56 GMT

Follow this link to access the full article on our 2017 Hermasillo, Mexico campaign.

Es Hermosillo ciudad piloto en México para mapeo de ondas de calor

jw@capastrategies.com (Joey Williams) — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 23:28:30 GMT

Follow this link for the full article on our 2017 Hermosillo, Mexico campaign.