Urban Heat Islands (UHI): How Transportation Contributes to the UHI Effect and Solutions for Cooling Cities

Extreme heat poses significant threats to human health, killing more people than any other weather-related cause. Furthermore, extreme heat disproportionately affects lower-income and communities of color in a variety of ways. Planners and engineers can significantly shape local microclimates through infrastructure design and policy choices. Dr. Evan Mallen will discuss his work in Georgia Tech’s Urban Climate Lab exploring the impact of infrastructure on local climates and the strategies we can use to mitigate extreme heat in cities. From the Street Transportation Department at City of Phoenix, Ryan Stevens and Mailén Pankiewicz will be sharing work about Phoenix’s portfolio of heat mitigation and response activities, an overview of the Phoenix Cool Pavement program, and how pedestrians are affected by summer heat in the nation’s hottest large city.