To Combat Rising Heat Deaths, Phoenix Creates Heat Response and Mitigation Office

As one of the nation's fastest-warming cities, Phoenix has seen a sharp rise in heat-related deaths as extreme temperatures become more commonplace. To address this growing public health crisis, the city has created the first publicly funded Office of Heat Response and Mitigation to tackle the problem of extreme heat and prevent heat deaths, which reached almost 500 in 2020. Jessica Kutz spoke with David Hondula, the director of the new office, to get a sense of how the city plans to develop a more comprehensive heat mitigation policy.

Hondula says the department will focus on coordinating a variety of short- and long-term heat mitigation strategies with other city departments and prioritizing cooling methods that meet local needs, such as increasing the city's tree canopy, installing cool pavement, and opening cooling centers for residents with no access to safe spaces in the extreme heat. 

Hondula acknowledged the unequal heat burden faced by low-income communities, saying that his office will "steer the city’s investments in mitigation and response to the communities where there is the greatest need."

Earlier this year, Phoenix pledged to commit to 'tree equity' by 2030 by planting more trees in underserved neighborhoods and closing the green gap between high-income and low-income communities, where lack of shade exacerbates the effects of extreme heat.