Urban Heat Islands (UHI): How Transportation Contributes to the UHI Effect and Solutions for Cooling Cities

When: Thursday, June 2, 2022 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM ET

This webinar is led by the ITE Transportation and Health Standing Committee.

Webinar Description:

Extreme heat poses significant threats to human health, killing more people than any other weather-related cause. Furthermore, extreme heat disproportionately affects lower-income and communities of color in a variety of ways. Planners and engineers can significantly shape local microclimates through infrastructure design and policy choices. Dr. Evan Mallen will discuss his work in Georgia Tech’s Urban Climate Lab exploring the impact of infrastructure on local climates and the strategies we can use to mitigate extreme heat in cities. From the Street Transportation Department at City of Phoenix, Ryan Stevens and Mailen Pankiewicz will be sharing work about Phoenix’s portfolio of heat mitigation and response activities, an overview of the Phoenix Cool Pavement program, and how pedestrians are affected by summer heat in the nation’s hottest large city.

Learning Objectives:
Attendees of this webinar will be able to:

• How transportation contributes to increased heat in urban areas and how climate change is exacerbating this problem
• How extreme heat is a growing health problem, killing more people than any other weather-related cause
• How cities and other agencies can develop transportation policies and plans to address extreme heat
• How pedestrians and other street users are impacted by extreme heat and strategies to protect them

Speakers:

• Ryan Stevens, P.E., Engineering Manager | City of Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ, USA
• Mailén Pankiewicz, Pedestrian Safety Coordinator | City of Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ, USA
• Evan Mallen, Part-Time Faculty, School of City & Regional Planning Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Teaching and Learning | Georgia Tech | Atlanta, GA, USA