Extreme Heat
NYC's sweltering subway tunnels might soon provide heat to nearby buildings
The MTA is studying how a Thermal Energy Network could capture extreme excess heat from subway platforms to warm nearby municipal buildings.
Extreme heat forces Amtrak, SEPTA to slow trains
High temperatures affect train tracks, electrical equipment and other key infrastructure.
Copenhagen is losing its cool
In a city long designed to maximize light during dark Scandinavian winters, climate change is forcing the Danish capital to rethink its relationship with the sun.
Amtrak cancels over a dozen trains due to extreme heat
The eastern side of the country faces a scorching holiday heat wave.
Cool Routes app plots shady walks in arid Arizona
Alternate routes provided by the app reduced the heat experienced during the walk by an average of 4.5 degrees.
Arizona had its hottest spring in 131 years
Average March temperatures across the state were 12.5 degrees above normal.
The Pacific Northwest is an unlikely front in the fight for cooling
A 2021 heat dome killed over 250 people in the Pacific Northwest, bringing into sharp focus the potential of extreme heat to have deadly consequences even in historically cool climates.
Green blocks are up to 4 degrees cooler than treeless streets
The difference in temperature created by urban trees can translate to as much as 40% less excess heat.
Study: Pavement covers 40% of Phoenix
A new study reveals how ultrafine particles emitted by pavement worsen air quality.
Austin uses satellite data to find gaps in its tree canopy
Layering tree data, heat risk and demographics information is helping the city implement its Climate Equity Plan.
Washington Urban Forestry Program Faces 'Existential' Budget Cut
A proposed budget eliminates funding for a key urban forestry program that funds greening efforts across the state.
LA County Adopts First Heat Action Plan
LA County has adopted its first Heat Action Plan, a long-term, people-centered framework to reduce heat risks, protect public health, and adapt communities, homes, and public spaces to a hotter and more dangerous climate.
New NYC Law Requires Landlords to Provide AC Units — But not in Public Housing
Building owners are required to install AC units for tenants who request them in the next four years, but tenants are on the hook for electricity costs.
Zillow Deleted Climate Risk From California Listings. This Climate Expert Wants to Bring it Back.
While difficult to estimate for individual homes, experts argue that home buyers should have access to data about flood and wildfire risk, extreme heat, and other climate hazards in the area.
“Nobody Walks Here. It’s Too Hot or Cold or Wet or Dry.”
How much does weather actually play into the choices people make about their travel behaviors?
Temperatures in Subways Can Soar Well Above 100. What Some Cities are Doing About it.
Extreme heat can be even more dangerous in confined subway cars and stations.
Study: Houston’s Vacant Lots Worsen Heat Island Effect
Paved lots and abandoned buildings can raise surrounding surface temperatures as much as 20 degrees, according to a new study.
Study: Parked Cars Significantly Increase Urban Heat Island Effect
Dark-colored cars in particular can raise the surrounding air temperature by as much as 3.8 degrees Celsius.
LA County Adopts Maximum Indoor Temperature Ordinance to Protect Renters from Extreme Heat
LA County has adopted an ordinance capping indoor temperatures in rental units at 82 degrees Fahrenheit in unincorporated areas, aiming to protect renters from extreme heat while providing phased compliance and support for small landlords.
Extreme Heat Prompts Trail Closures and Safety Warnings in San Diego
San Diego County has closed three hiking trails for August due to extreme heat, urging hikers to stay safe with proper planning, hydration, and early starts.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
