Limiting exposure to the Sun through shade is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to reduce heat-related health risks outdoors.
This must change. As cities worldwide update their plans to address heat, many more should have clear strategies for providing adequate shade, including criteria for evaluation and a dedicated person responsible for implementation. Researchers need to provide cities with data to help make these plans.Cities that establish shade plans must go beyond the current focus on trees.
These efforts are a start, but what is needed are more specific and enforceable guidelines across more settings. Cities require a viable and valid way to determine the optimal amount, location and mix of shade infrastructure. This approach should consider regional and seasonal climate patterns, such as cloud cover, humidity, temperature and wind. A shade plan must also involve considerations of who, what, where, when and how much shade is needed , as well as costs.
Increasingly, a ‘whole of government’ approach is needed to ensure that regulatory bodies share a common goal. The Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance, set up by the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center in Washington DC, has supported the placement of ‘chief heat officers’ in six cities worldwide. Phoenix and Los Angeles have appointed a municipal staff member to similar positions to coordinate local action on heat.City efforts need better federal support.
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