Page 41 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

To promote a variety of locations and advance equity, the team gathered data on augmented cooling centers—found within 73 libraries, select recreation centers, and senior centers—and cooling spots such as shade structures, bus shelters, and hydration stations throughout Los Angeles to put in the Cooling Spots map. Visibility of Cooling Centers Results in Record Relief Displaying all the options on a map guided decision-making on where more cooling centers were needed. The city added 16 augmented cooling centers in underserved areas from a previous count of 6. "We had the highest cooling center attendance we have ever had, in part because of our app," Segura said. Calls to 311 and a social media campaign, #HeatRelief4LA, promoted the app. The Cool Spots map will continue to grow and change over time as investments in green infrastructure expand. Earlier in 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a historic $800 million heat action plan. The plan details a strategic approach to adapt and strengthen community resilience to heat threats. In September 2022, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced an initiative to offer rebates for energy-efficient air conditioners—which is being informed by the Cool Spots LA app and the city's heat risk map. "The impacts of the climate emergency are on our doorstep, and as we continue our work to make Los Angeles a carbon-neutral city, we can't wait to bring solutions to people on the front lines of this crisis today," Garcetti said in a statement. Los Angeles isn't the only city that has added an extreme heat officer. The Adrienne Arsht- Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center's Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance catalyzed support for the concept and, worldwide, there are currently seven chief heat officers. In the US, Miami and Phoenix made this commitment to combat climate change. Also, the Biden administration launched a climate change portal that addresses extreme heat, providing a live dashboard to view real-time extreme weather patterns. The portal also provides data about vulnerable people so governments can assess and assist communities to make equitable adaptations and responses. Visitors to the Cool Spots LA app can find the cooling centers across the region. 40 Extreme Heat