City Resilience

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Sectors	Extreme Heat "Extreme Heat" is not in the list (Buildings, Cybersecurity and Privacy, Data, Education, Public Safety, Rural, Smart Region, Transportation, Utility, Wellbeing, ...) of allowed values for the "Has sector" property.
Contact	Jiri Skopek
Topics
Activities Framework for Enhancing Disaster Mitigation and Regeneration of Community Capacity Establishment of a framework that fosters collaborative efforts between diverse public, private, and academic partners to enhance disaster mitigation, community resilience and economic growth. Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic First responders have a critical role in pre-hospital emergency care and must continue to provide this essential service and fill the many emergency response roles in a community. Next Generation Resilient Warning Systems for Tornados and Flash Floods The project aims to revolutionize severe weather warnings through Next Gen communications and networking. Focusing on hyper-local, user-driven, context-aware alerts, it leverages mobile phones and hyper-local data for customized warnings, enhancing response and outcomes. Regenerative Urbanism Vanport Vanport, Oregon was a temporary housing project built in 1942 to address a wartime housing shortage in Portland. School Organized Locally Assisted Community Emergency‐Management The School Organized Locally Assisted Community Emergency‐Management (SOLACE) project focused on the use of a community school as a community resilience hub for its surrounding community. Community Resilience Hubs (CRHs) can be defined as community‐serving facilities augmented to support residents and coordinate resource distribution of resources and services to the surrounding community. This project focused specifically on the use of a CRM to support community member needs before, during, or after a natural hazard event and on developing a community‐led sociotechnical infrastructure framework for adapting a public school (Buckman Elementary School) as the pilot CRH. In 2022, this project received a NSF Planning Grant.

Authors

Extreme heat and heatwaves are becoming a significant concern for many world cities and communities, and it's rapidly worsening due to the impact of climate change. Extreme heat events have severe impacts on ecosystems, infrastructure, human health, and economies. These heatwaves are not only a consequence of escalating global temperatures, but they also symbolize an acute emergency for urban environments worldwide In several locations the extreme heat is exacerbated by poor air quality caused by smoke from wildfires.

Extreme heat and heatwaves are becoming a significant concern for many world cities and communities, and it's rapidly worsening due to the impact of climate change. Extreme Urban areas, characterized by their dense populations and significant infrastructural development, have become epicenters for extreme heat impacts. This phenomenon is exacerbated by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, wherein the lack of vegetation and high prevalence of heat-absorbing materials lead to significantly warmer conditions in cities compared to their rural surroundings. The interplay of climate change, urbanization, and socio-economic factors means that heat risks in cities are escalating at an alarming rate.

The consequences of increasing urban heat are manifold and far-reaching. heatwaves pose considerable threats to urban infrastructure, disrupting essential services, exacerbating energy demands, and straining resources. Simultaneously, health concerns range from heat stress and heat-related illnesses to exacerbated chronic conditions and increased mortality rates. The ripple effects of extreme heat events can thus perpetuate socio-economic disparities, destabilize local economies, and compromise overall urban sustainability.

In this section, we will show how to identify the severity of extreme heat events and identify how to implement actionable adaptive and mitigative strategies to reduce risk and increase resilience. We will present case studies from cities across the globe, demonstrating the universal nature of this crisis and the range of strategies combining infrastructural changes, policy interventions, technological advancements, and community engagement currently being deployed.

Monitoring and Benchmarking Extreme Heat- KPIs Temperature- Metric: (°C/°F) is the most obvious indicator of the warming planet. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/global/mapping provides detailed information on both local and global temperature variation. Since the dawn of the industrial age the global average temperature had risen by approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius (about 2 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The consequences of this warming include more frequent and intense heatwaves and changes in weather patterns. Mean or peak daytime temperature Metric: Mean or peak daytime local temperature by direct measurement, PET calculation or modelling (°C), or by PMV-PPD calculation (unitless value) Green urban infrastructure can significantly affect climate change adaptation by reducing air and surface temperatures with the help of shading and through increased evapotranspiration. Conversely, green urban infrastructure can also provide insulation from cold and/or shelter from wind, thereby reducing heating requirements (Cheng, Cheung, & Chu, 2010). By moderating the urban microclimate, green infrastructure can support a reduction in energy use and improved thermal comfort (Demuzere et al., 2014). https://unalab.eu/system/files/2020-02/d31-nbs-performance-and-impact-monitoring-report2020-02-17.pdf Heatwave Risk Metric: number of combined hot nights (>20°C) and hot days (>35°C) Heatwave is a period of prolonged abnormally high surface temperatures relative to those normally expected. Heatwaves can be characterized by low humidity, which may exacerbate drought, or high humidity, which may exacerbate the health effects of heat-related stress such as heat exhaustion, dehydration and heatstroke. Heatwaves in Europe are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, climate change is expected to increase average summer temperatures and the frequency and intensity of hot days (Russo et al., 2014). Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect Metric: (°C/°F) This indicator focuses on the urban heat island (UHI) effect, wherein a significant difference is observed in air temperature between the city and its surroundings. The UHI effect is caused by the absorption of sunlight by (stony) materials, reduced evaporation and the emission of heat caused by human activities. The UHI effect is greatest after sunset and reported to reach up to 9°C in some cities, e.g., Rotterdam (Van Hove et al., 2015). Strategies. Reducing extreme heat and heatwaves in urban areas is an urgent task for many cities and communities given the increasing intensity of heatwaves as a result of climate change. Below are some strategies cities can consider: Urban Greening: Increasing the number of trees, plants, and green spaces in a city can help to reduce temperatures. This is because vegetation reduces heat through a process known as "evapotranspiration” and provides shade that cools the surrounding areas. Additionally, green roofs and walls can be used to cool buildings and further reduce temperatures. Urban forests also contribute to carbon sequestration, thus mitigating climate change. Urban Planning and Design: Implement strategies to reduce the heat island effect. This includes constructing buildings with cool or green roofs, using lighter-coloured materials in pavements and other urban infrastructure to reflect more sunlight, and ensuring that buildings are adequately spaced to allow for airflow. Water Features: The introduction of water features such as ponds, fountains, and artificial lakes can help to reduce urban heat through evaporative cooling. Improved Building Design: Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings can reduce the need for air conditioning, which is a significant contributor to urban heat. Passive cooling strategies such as natural ventilation, shading, and insulation can be very effective in this regard. Community Education and Behavior Change: Educating residents about the impacts of heatwaves and how to stay cool can help to mitigate the health impacts of extreme heat. Encouraging behavioral changes such as reducing energy use during peak times can also help to reduce heat production. Infrastructure Adaptation: Adopting heat-resilient infrastructure such as thermally comfortable public transportation, cooling centers, and shaded public spaces can protect vulnerable populations during heatwaves. Early Warning Systems and Heat-Health Action Plans: Implementing robust heat-health warning systems can alert the public when heatwaves are expected, allowing them to take precautions. These systems need to be linked to heat-health action plans that detail how to respond to these warnings. Climate-sensitive Urban Development: New development projects must take into consideration future climate conditions including rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves. Engagement with stakeholders: Partnering with local communities, businesses, non-profits, and other stakeholders to implement these measures can ensure they are successful and tailored to local needs. Policy Interventions: City governments can implement a range of policy interventions to promote these strategies, such as requiring green roofs on new buildings, offering incentives for energy-efficient design, or creating zoning laws that promote the creation of green spaces. It is important to take a holistic approach to reducing urban heat, as these strategies can often have additional benefits such as improving air quality, enhancing biodiversity, and improving residents' well-being.