Rising temperatures have a disproportionate impact on people living in urban heat islands, areas where structures like roads and buildings absorb and re-emit heat. This particularly affects vulnerable communities, including older people, children, and those with chronic health conditions.

A new tool utilizes AI-powered object detection and other models to consider local characteristics, such as the amount of green space in a city or the reflectivity of building roofs. This assists urban planners and local governments in understanding the impact of cooling interventions at the neighborhood level.

The tool is currently being piloted in 14 U.S. cities, where it is being used to identify which neighborhoods are most vulnerable to extreme heat and develop plans to address rising temperatures. AI-informed insights have demonstrated their potential in providing city officials and urban planners with the necessary information to implement significant changes.

Miami-Dade county intends to use the Heat Resilience tool to develop policies that incentivize developers to adopt heat mitigation measures. The goal is to collaborate with more cities in the future to inform their cooling strategies and ultimately create safer, healthier, and more sustainable communities.