Page 39 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

LA's New Chief Heat Officer Expands Cooling Centers Based on Equity Maps In late August 2022, a vicious heat dome sat over Los Angeles just when summer would typically fade into fall. For a week, temperatures climbed as high as 115 degrees in parts of Southern California and didn't cool off much at night. The extreme heat led to an increase in wildfire risk, power outages, and harm to human health and ecosystems. While climate change affects everyone, there are disproportionate negative impacts on communities of color, older adults, young children, and outdoor workers. In LA, in predominantly Black and Latino lower-income neighborhoods, there is less climate-adapted infrastructure than in wealthier communities. Having few trees and many buildings and roads creates an urban heat island effect. Concrete and asphalt store heat—warming the days and nights, leading to a higher incidence of hospitalizations and premature deaths. Extreme heat waves in California are lasting longer and are the deadliest climate threat residents face. There are efforts in low- income neighborhoods to add recreation center options and to plant trees to provide shade equity, but some of those projects, including the redesign of the LA River greenway, will take time to bring benefits. In June 2022, Los Angeles promoted Marta Segura to become the city's first chief heat officer. Applying GIS technology to map the city's areas most affected by heat and social vulnerability—a climate justice framework—helped Segura expand the city's services and deploy resources during extreme heat events. "LA now has six times the number of heat waves we once had, with more exposure from heat stagnated air pollution and less time for our bodies to recover," Segura said. "Some neighborhoods without trees, shade, and open space suffer four 38 Extreme Heat