Distributional outcomes of urban heat island reduction pathways under climate extremes

This study applies the City-HEAT tool to explore how Baltimore can adapt to extreme heat through urban heat island (UHI) mitigation. It evaluates neighborhood-level strategies such as tree planting, cool roofs, and pavements while balancing goals like reducing mortality, promoting equity, managing costs, and addressing climate uncertainty.

While tree planting significantly reduces temperatures and carbon emissions, it often fails to serve the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, limiting its impact on health equity. In contrast, infrastructure-based strategies like reflective surfaces offer more equitable distribution of benefits. The study shows that well-designed UHI mitigation plans can be robust across different future climate scenarios, highlighting the need for adaptive, inclusive approaches to urban heat resilience.