Expert Interview

1. What role do policymakers and city planners play in mitigating urban heat island (UHI) effects and ensuring that residents’ health is protected from extreme temperatures?
2. What strategies are currently being implemented in NYC to reduce the impact of the urban heat island effect?
3. What actions should the average resident take to reduce their personal exposure to the urban heat island effect, and how can the community contribute to creating cooler urban spaces?
4. How does prolonged exposure to high temperatures exacerbate pre-existing health conditions, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the elderly or those with respiratory issues?
5. Are there any successful examples from other cities that have addressed urban heat islands in a way that could be applied to New York?
6. How does the urban heat island effect intersect with other environmental and socioeconomic factors (e.g., poverty, lack of access to healthcare) to further affect marginalized communities in NYC?
7. What specific landscape changes in NYC have contributed to the intensification of the urban heat island effect in recent decades?
8. How can public health agencies collaborate with environmental and urban planning organizations to create more climate-resilient neighborhoods in NYC?

Areas of Expertise/Research

Climate Change

Energy Sustainability

Environmental Fluid Dyanmics

Urban Boundary Layer 

Additional Departments/Affiliated Programs

• CUNY-CREST Institute
• Earth System Science and Environmental Engineering
• NOAA-CESSRST

Maialee, here are my responses:

1- In NYC, they are doing as well as a job as possible. NYC has in the past set up a UHI committee to investigate both the impact of extreme heat and design strategies to moderate it. NYC also produces a highly localized report on the effects of climate change on NYC. It is written into the City’s constitution. The city has conducted research to identify vulnerable populations and has also allocated funds to both monitor and fund the mitigation strategies.

2 – Providing ACs to low-income households and implementing citywide greening solutions. Additionally, the city provides temporary cooling centers during heatwave periods. 

3- Educate on extreme heat impacts on health and take necessary precautions. 

4- Berlin and Singapore have done a lot in improving green infrastructure. Phoenix has done good work in providing cooling centers as well as identifying vulnerable populations.

5- UHI, just like climate change, amplifies social disparities related to wealth and health. 

6- Simply put, urban areas hold more heat than moisture due to increased building materials. Additionally, anthropogenic activities add more heat to the environment. 

7- Relatively speaking, the land cover characteristics have not changed dramatically in NYC compared to other cities in the last century. Maybe there are new developments in the outer boroughs that did not exist before.

8- They already do in NYC. There is a high level of coordination between various city agencies to develop a climate-resilient city.