Heat Stress and Urban Resilience: How Should We Plan for the Increasing Cooling Needs of Vulnerable Urban Communities

The project addresses the issue of heat stress in vulnerable urban communities, exacerbated by the urban heat island effect, which disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations and contributes to socioeconomic and health disparities. The objective is to develop a framework for prioritizing urban cooling interventions that are economically viable, scalable, and possibly powered by renewable energy, to enhance community resilience against climate-induced heat stress. Methodologically, the project involves identifying variables contributing to heat exposure, assessing intervention strategies across varying technological levels in urban case studies (Philadelphia and an Indian city), and implementing a pilot urban cooling solution in Philadelphia.

Dorit Aviv

Assistant Professor of Architecture

Dorit Aviv is an assistant professor of architecture at the Weitzman School of Design. She directs the Thermal Architecture Lab which focuses on the intersection of thermodynamics, architectural design, and material science.

William Braham

Professor of Architecture, Director of CEBD

William W. Braham is a professor of architecture at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design. He is also the Director of the Center for Environmental Building + Design.

Siva Mathiyazhagan

Research Assistant Professor, SP2

Siva Mathiyazhagan is a Research Assistant Professor in the School of Social Policy and Practice. He is also the Associate Director of Strategies and Impact at the SAFELab at Penn and RSM Assembly Fellows at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society

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