Heterogeneity in heat among built space in Vermont cities
Conference Year
2023
Abstract
Extreme heat has been identified as the leading cause of weather‐related deaths in the US and a serious public health threat that is projected to become increasingly problematic. This paper provides evidence that transportation infrastructure can heighten the existence and intensity of heat microenvironments within small and rural communities such as those found across the state of Vermont. We find that within a 100 m buffer of any given point, a 21.7% reduction of paved surface area could reduce canopy layer temperatures by 1°F. This finding has implications for infrastructure design, land use, and zoning across the urban‐rural continuum.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Greg Rowangould
Status
Graduate
Student College
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
Program/Major
Accelerated RN-BS-MS
Primary Research Category
Engineering and Math Science
Heterogeneity in heat among built space in Vermont cities
Extreme heat has been identified as the leading cause of weather‐related deaths in the US and a serious public health threat that is projected to become increasingly problematic. This paper provides evidence that transportation infrastructure can heighten the existence and intensity of heat microenvironments within small and rural communities such as those found across the state of Vermont. We find that within a 100 m buffer of any given point, a 21.7% reduction of paved surface area could reduce canopy layer temperatures by 1°F. This finding has implications for infrastructure design, land use, and zoning across the urban‐rural continuum.