Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of hot spells, but technology is helping address the challenges posed by record-breaking heatwaves and make communities more resilient.
Today, cities are using data and technology not only to respond to challenges, but also to get ahead of them, Rochelle Haynes, senior vice president and managing director of What Works Cities at Results for America, said. The organization partners with a network of more than 300 cities.
One of the top issues city leaders in the group are facing is climate resilience. Cities are using technology and predictive analytics to better respond to extreme weather events; and, more broadly, to support emergency preparedness, she said.
Urban greening is one way cities are mitigating extreme heat. The city of Cambridge, Mass., is focused on expanding its urban forest with data. The city uses lidar technology to capture data about it’s tree canopy, Andrew Putnam, Cambridge superintendent of urban forestry and landscapes, said.
Before adopting the technology, the city’s method for capturing this data involved manually taking measurements of city-owned street trees’ trunks. Staffers still do, but lidar helps the city gather more detailed information, including from trees on private property. These trees contribute the same as street trees to combating urban heat, and technology provides a more “holistic picture” to inform city planning.
The city’s first flyover was in 2014 and since then, its tree canopy has increased 5 percent overall according to the most recent report.
Data helps city officials build buy-in for related initiatives by providing tangible analysis of inequities and trends in tree canopies, Putnam said, as they work toward the goal of 30 percent canopy cover for each neighborhood: “That [data] can galvanize stakeholders in that community to do more.”
Technology is an important part of strengthening cities’ preparedness for the heat impacts of climate change, but it starts with data, Haynes emphasized, which can help cities design holistic plans for climate resilience.
Data is also the foundation for effective AI implementation, and some localities are already integrating this technology layer into the work.
For example, Raleigh, N.C., has been using satellite imagery to inform tree planting initiatives, leveraging a digital twin model to strategically plan projects for its three distinct urban heat initiatives: the Cool Roadways Pilot Project, Street Tree Equity and Green Stormwater Infrastructure projects. In Raleigh, AI is built into its microclimate modeling tool to predict future weather conditions as they relate to the city’s urban landscape.
When it comes to using AI here, Haynes said it is critical to first define the problem that needs solving — before exploring how technologies like AI can help resolve it. What works for cities, she stressed, is not always the “big, shiny things” in terms of tech-powered tools — but sometimes, practical things like lidar that can effectively make the difference.
City governments are facing resource and funding constraints, she underlined, which escalates the need for data-informed investments.
“You want long-term plans that are going to be effective because the issues don’t go away regardless of the size of budgets,” Haynes said, highlighting the importance of effective technology and resource deployment.
What works for one city may not work for another, Putnam noted, but he advised other cities to pursue some level of lidar data processing to get a baseline understanding of their urban tree canopy before layering on other technologies or combative strategies.
“Starting with the data gives you the tool set to really create a robust program for your specific location,” he said.
In May, Cambridge held a meeting with recommendations and updates for its Urban Forest Master Plan. Among them, officials highlighted growing canopy coverage; 30 percent of the city is now shaded by trees. Officials are now setting a new target for each neighborhood’s coverage rate, with the threshold moving from 30 to 35 percent, Putnam said.
The five-year update to the master plan is slated to publish this year, at which time officials will begin implementing included action items, he said. A City Council committee hearing to review and discuss the update is scheduled for June 22.
Keeping residents engaged in the process is an important part of successfully leveraging data and technology in this work, Haynes said — rather than relying solely on technology. Fort Lauderdale, Fla., used tech and resident engagement to support infrastructure investments following a major 2023 storm, she said, leveraging technical models at public meetings. In the southwest, the city of Phoenix has created an Office of Heat Response and Mitigation to guide this work.
“You want to be able to make the case, and citizens want to know that they’re being engaged, and I think data can help spark that conversation,” Haynes said.
