Los Angeles has a heat problem, and it's getting worse. But the Mayor's Office is taking on the challenge.

The Los Angeles Office of Sustainability is partnering with local universities on a plan to lower the average regional temperature by three degrees over the next 20 years.
Achieving that goal could reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, and prevent deaths caused annually by extreme heat. The Los Angeles Times looks into how much progress the city needs to make on science and policy to get there.
A variety of factors go into L.A.'s temperatures, but one well-known problem scientists are focusing on is the urban heat island effect: the phenomenon by which cities tend to be warmer than their surrounding areas because of heat absorbed by the built environment.
Over the years Los Angeles has tried, at different scales, a number of common approaches to this problem, including cool pavements and cool roofs, sustainably designed parks, and thoughtful urban forestry.
But because the effects of a heat island can be "hyper-local," its solutions have to be, too—sometimes varying "block to block." In one neighborhood, scientists tested different heat mitigation techniques in a computer model that accounted for every single tree and building.
FULL STORY: L.A.’s mayor wants to lower the city’s temperature. These scientists are figuring out how to do it

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
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Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills
Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.

Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
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