Extreme Heat

Los Angeles Skyline

New Study Ranks the Urban Heat Island Effect in U.S. Cities

A new analysis by Climate Central evaluates the intensity of urban heat islands in cities around the United States—New Orleans tops the list.

July 15, 2021 - WBUR

Miami Temperature

It's Time for National Cool Communities Standards

Cities are hotter because of the way we build them, and they could be cooler if we built them differently.

June 24, 2021 - Next City

San Francisco, California

2020 Was a Landmark Year for Climate Change

Many companies set goals to achieve by 2020 and came up short, while the effects of climate change were more obvious than ever in the year that was 2020.

February 3, 2021 - James Brasuell

Boston Skyline with Dome

Boston Launches a 20-Year Urban Forestry Plan

The forthcoming Boston Urban Forestry Plan is expected to support communities that have been disproportionately exposed to environmental stressors.

October 6, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Floodplain

Mapping the Climate Change Future of the United States

The regions of the United States that have provided the most hospitable to human life and agriculture on the continent will likely be abandoned in a future altered by climate change, according to this interactive mapping project.

September 17, 2020 - ProPublica

child playing in Peavey Plaza fountain in Minneapolis

Twin Cities Climate Vulnerability: Extreme Heat

State climatologists are highly confident that heat waves are likely to trend upwards in future summers in Minnesota. To address extreme heat, researchers are identifying the factors that exacerbate extreme heat.

September 16, 2020 - PlanIt - Metropolitan Council

Flood Damaged Suburb

1.2 Million Climate Refugees and Counting in the United States

Americans are fleeing the effects of climate change by the millions. Expect the number of climate refugees to continue to grow.

September 15, 2020 - The Week

Los Angeles Sunset

A New Study Measures Extreme Heat's Human Impact, Flags At-Risk States

Heatwaves are the leading cause of deaths related to weather. A new study seeks to understand the impact of heatwaves and extreme heat exposure on humans and the cities in which they live.

September 6, 2020 - Cities Today

Green

Critics Say Boston Tree Removal Plan Reflects Environmental Racism

A road project in Boston involves removing hundreds of mature trees. Residents say the plan is an environmental justice issue.

August 28, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Asphalt

The Undeniable Link Between Redlining and Extreme Heat in American Cities

The country’s history of racist and segregationist housing policies is affecting vulnerable low-income communities of color that are bearing the brunt of climate change impacts.

August 26, 2020 - The New York Times

Hong Kong Towers

Better Planning Needed to Address Effects of Urban Heat Island in Hong Kong

A recent study reveals the detrimental impact of hot nights compared to hot days, with the region experiencing hotter summers and more hot days due to climate change and the heat island effect.

August 24, 2020 - SmartCitiesWorld

Downtown Phoenix

Satellite, Launched Into Space Earlier This Month, to Measure Urban Heat Island Effect

A new satellite, currently residing on the International Space Station and scheduled for deployment in January, will measure and map the urban heat island effect of seven U.S. cities.

November 25, 2019 - Arizona Republic

Baltimore, Maryland

Low Income People of Color More Likely to Suffer Extreme Heat

A recently published report finds more evidence to elevate heat as a matter of environmental justice.

September 7, 2019 - NPR

Trees and People

Three Ways Cities Can Combat Extreme Heat

As temperatures rise, there are some relatively simple changes cities can implement to cut cooling costs and deal with spells of extreme heat.

August 23, 2019 - Fast Company

Youth Protest

The Climate Has Already Changed

A big feature explores the effects of climate change, which are already very much changing life in the United States.

August 13, 2019 - The Washington Post

Twin Cities

Keeping Our Cool: Extreme Heat in the Twin Cities Region

A report discusses how rising temperatures affect the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and how those effects can be mitigated.

October 7, 2018 - PlanIt - Metropolitan Council

East Brother Light Station

Climate Change Hitting California Faster Than Scientists Expected

Extreme heat, rising seas, and other impacts of climate change are turning deadly faster than predicted, California officials warn.

September 3, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Penn's Landing

Identifying the Populations Most Vulnerable to 'Extreme Heat Events'

New research published in Applied Geography is a first step toward planning for the resilience of vulnerable populations as the heat rises in urban areas.

August 11, 2017 - Scientific American

Minneapolis Riverfront

The ASLA's New Guide to Resilient Design

The American Society of landscape Architects is promoting a new guide to resilient landscape design, which examines hundreds of case studies for examples of infrastructure that works with nature, instead of against it.

September 20, 2016 - ASLA The Dirt

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.