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The author is a contributing columnist based in Chicago.
In a country as racially divided as the US, even the heat discriminates.
Poorer, non-white neighborhoods in US cities are often hotter than predominantly white neighborhoods— and this inequality is by design. In my affluent, mostly white neighborhood near Chicago, the tree canopy is twice as dense as in historically segregated areas just a few blocks away, which are predominantly non-white.
A lower tree density means more heat, and more heat means more illness, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. These areas known as “heat islands” have more buildings, parking lots, and roads that absorb and radiate more heat compared to shaded areas.
“Heat is the silent killer, it is the number one weather-related cause of death in the US—not tornadoes or hurricanes,” says Kyra Woods, an advisor in Chicago’s Office of Climate and Environmental Equity. Woods is part of a team leading the city’s project to create a “heat map” this summer to identify the areas most affected by heat.
Chicago is famous for its bitter cold and wind, but in a five-day period in 1995, over 700 people died here in a heatwave. Woods emphasizes that the impacts were not felt equally, primarily due to “redlining”—a practice that segregated non-white neighborhoods and deemed them undesirable for real estate investment.
A study of 108 urban areas in the US found that formerly redlined neighborhoods have surface temperatures about 2.6 degrees Celsius, or nearly 5 degrees Fahrenheit, higher than other areas. This is a prevalent example of how past structurally racist decisions contribute to climate risks today, according to Max Cawley, a participant in the heat mapping project in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina.
The Chicago Tribune recently published its own heat map of the city, revealing that over 300,000 residents live in areas that are significantly hotter than the rest of the city. Latino areas are particularly affected.
Elena Grossman of the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health warns that things are likely to worsen. Without intervention, the city may experience heatwaves that are as deadly as the one in 1995, but more frequent and intense.
Residents like Dulce Garduno in Chicago’s majority Hispanic neighborhood are actively measuring heat levels. Garduno believes the heat map is a crucial first step in determining the need for more trees in her community, which has been disproportionately covered in concrete.
Ensuring “tree equity” in both affluent and marginalized neighborhoods, regardless of race, is a goal for several major US cities. However, there are other strategies to address heat islands, such as the installation of “green roofs” or the use of reflective materials on roads and roofs. In Los Angeles, 181 miles of “cool” road surface have been installed, effectively reducing temperatures by up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Ana Tabuena-Ruddy, chief sustainability officer of StreetsLA.
Ana Tabuena-Ruddy states that they have only just begun addressing Los Angeles’ extensive road network, which spans 23,000 lane-miles. Evaluating the impact of “cool pavements” on reducing heat islands will require time. In addition, there are still structural obstacles from redlining, such as narrow sidewalks that hinder tree planting.
However, cities must be cautious of unintended consequences. A study of “cool pavements” in Phoenix found that they increased pedestrian temperatures by an average of 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest times of the day due to heat reflection.
Morgan Zabow, the heat and health information coordinator for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, emphasizes the need for immediate action. She explains that by 2050, Chicago is projected to have 51 days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit compared to the historical average of 15 such days. This increase in heat is associated with a rise in heat-related illnesses and deaths.
The challenge lies not only in preparing for future heatwaves but also in ensuring equal survival opportunities for all.
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