The hottest summer ever

The South is already known for having hot summers, but climate change amplifies the effects of extreme heat and makes heat waves more frequent and more intense. By the middle of this century, much of the Southeast can expect to see an average of 90 days per year over 90 degrees due to climate change, compared to the historical average of about 40 days per year over 90 degrees. And extreme heat combined with the humidity the region is famous for makes it harder for people to keep their bodies cool and safe.  

In this piece we explore how communities across the South are working to address heat islands.  

What are heat islands? 

The design of many of our cities and urban areas worsens heatwaves. The concrete, asphalt, and metal used in parking lots, buildings, and roads retain and emit heat more than natural ground cover like trees, bodies of water, and vegetation. Cities are often significantly hotter than surrounding areas and show up as “heat islands” on weather maps.  

Living in a heat island during a heatwave can be hazardous for your health. Simply walking to run errands or waiting outside for the bus can expose you to dangerous temperatures.  

The heat island effect is not evenly felt across cities. Due to historic disinvestments, neighborhoods with less wealth and more people of color tend to have fewer trees and green spaces that can help absorb and mitigate heat. 

Researchers in our region have found clear links between historically redlined communities, which were marked on maps for disinvestment due to racist lending practices, and heat exposure risk. Redlined communities were marked on maps beginning in the 1930s by real estate lenders to identify non-white neighborhoods and led to disinvestment in those same communities. 

It also takes exponentially more energy to cool housing from 95 degree heat compared to 85 degree heat, resulting in higher energy bills that can be unattainable for some. Access to household air-conditioning varies by race and income, and even if a family has access to an air-conditioning system, they may not be able to afford the electricity to cool their home during peak heat. The increased energy burden from extreme heat can make a decision to save money by turning off the AC during a heatwave turn fatal. In the Southeast, high energy bills disproportionately affect rural and under-resourced residents, elderly residents, and communities of color, making the lack of cooling access a clear environmental and climate justice concern. 

In the face of this climate challenge, several community-led organizations across the South are implementing new solutions to address these issues and lessen the impact of heat islands. 

Southside Releaf, Justice-Centered Tree Planting (Richmond, VA) 

Southside ReLeaf is a community-based organization in South Richmond, VA bringing green space to urban areas. Since 2019, it has planted and given away more than 1,000 trees to green Southside neighborhoods, which have long been less resourced than neighborhoods in the city’s north. The organization works with local volunteers and other community partners to make this happen. Some locations have included elementary schools, playgrounds, and community centers.  

Southside ReLeaf’s goal is to improve health outcomes and the quality of life for residents by transforming urban landscapes into green spaces. They do this through greening projects, education, and people-centered policy. Tree planting helps to cool temperatures and reduce the urban heat island effect, lower energy costs, minimize flooding, and improve air quality by sequestering carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Urban forests provide necessary shade, especially in lower wealth neighborhoods and communities of color that often have less tree canopy. Increasing urban forestry can decrease urban heat temperatures by 3.6–5.4 degrees.  

To address long-standing disparities in access to greenspace, we’re currently working with the City of Richmond to create five new city parks in South Richmond.

Amy Wentz, Southside Releaf co-founder

Beyond planting seeds, Southside Releaf has a long-term commitment to upkeep. They hold community workdays with volunteers, which include watering, pulling up weeds, re-mulching, structural pruning with the Richmond Tree Stewards, and general check-ups throughout the year. The organization also partners with additional community garden groups to prep, cultivate, and harvest during the growing season.

Vicars Community Center, Resilience Hub (Atlanta, GA)

To support residents during extreme heat events in Atlanta, Georgia, Vicars Community Center is being transformed into a resilience hub for Southwest Atlanta residents. The Vicars resilience hub, powered by a solar installation, will provide support and relief for vulnerable residents during power outages and weather-related emergencies like heatwaves and floods.  

It will offer a safe space to gather and access reliable power for essential devices, securely refrigerate medications, and receive information as emergency situations develop. Outside of extreme events, neighbors are welcome to visit to stay cool or warm during the day. 

Resilience hubs address interconnected community needs prior to, during, and after emergencies, by providing resources, increasing communication, supporting residents, and helping to mitigate climate change. These centers are unique to the communities they serve and driven by the needs of local residents. By empowering communities to lead resilience efforts, these hubs can also help foster stronger relationships between neighborhoods and their local governments. 

City Water, Living Roof (Columbia, SC)  

Living roofs or green roofs are vegetative layers grown on top of rooftops. They help to reduce temperatures by removing heat from the surrounding air and building surfaces, reducing building energy consumption, and reducing overall city-wide ambient temperatures by up to 5 degrees.  

The City of Columbia ‘s wastewater management facility repurposed an abandoned car dealership and polluted brownfield, and retrofitted the facility to include a living roof to help reduce urban heat. The roof is fully vegetated and designed to look and perform like a biodiverse meadow. The living roof also helps capture and reduce stormwater runoff and promotes biodiversity in the heart of the city. This public building sets an example for other redevelopment city project as well as he potential of intentional design to reduce the cities’ heat island effect.  

Building heat-resilient communities

By implementing new climate solutions to reduce heat in neighborhoods, promote biodiversity, and empower communities during emergencies, governments and nonprofits are working to keep families safe and reducing the impact of heat islands.