The Inequality of City Heat

The document describes how the 'urban heat island' effect causes cities to be hotter than rural areas, noting that this heat is disproportionately felt in formerly 'redlined' neighborhoods. It highlights the role of tree canopies and green spaces in mitigating heat and suggests resources and methods for journalists to report on urban heat inequality.

• The 'urban heat island' effect occurs when hard surfaces like concrete, pavement, and bricks absorb heat during the day and release it at night, making cities hotter than surrounding rural or suburban areas.
• Urban heat is distributed unequally, with formerly 'redlined' neighborhoods—often home to immigrant and Black communities—experiencing higher temperatures and having less tree canopy cover than whiter areas.
• Research across 108 US urban areas indicates that most redlined neighborhoods have land surface temperatures up to 7°C (12°F) higher than other neighborhoods.
• Vegetation, including trees, shrubs, grasses, and green roofs, mitigates heat through shade and the release of water from leaves into the air.

APA

Climate Central (2020). The Inequality of City Heat. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/the-inequality-of-city-heat

Chicago

Climate Central. The Inequality of City Heat. 2020. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/the-inequality-of-city-heat.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=The Inequality of City Heat |date=4 September 2020 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/the-inequality-of-city-heat |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2020inequality, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{The Inequality of City Heat}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/the-inequality-of-city-heat}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }