Durham must address the urban heat island effect and equity in its development ordinances
(05/05/23 4:00am)
As of August 2022, extreme heat was the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the US. High summer temperatures can trigger severe heat stress and exhaustion among other serious health issues. This phenomenon is called the “urban heat island effect” (UHI), and it occurs when land cover, vegetation and tree canopy — which cools surrounding areas by providing shade — are sparse compared to heat-absorbing surfaces such as cement and asphalt.