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