As extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe, cities need better tools to protect the people most at risk. New research led by Discovery Partners Institute Climate and Urban Sustainability Lead Ashish Sharma and an international team of researchers outlines a new framework for understanding and responding to urban heat that moves beyond traditional static risk maps. The paper, Five Shifts to Rethink Urban Heat Assessment and Action, was recently published in npj Urban Sustainability, a Nature Portfolio journal.
The authors argue that conventional approaches often treat heat risk as fixed, relying on neighborhood-level maps and demographic indicators that overlook how risk changes throughout the day. In reality, heat exposure shifts with where people work, travel, and live, while factors such as power outages, air quality, housing conditions, and individual health can dramatically alter who is most vulnerable at any given time.
To address these challenges, the researchers propose five key shifts for cities and decision-makers:
- Move from static maps to dynamic assessments of heat exposure.
- Combine engineered solutions with community-based and locally informed adaptation strategies.
- Recognize that vulnerability changes over time rather than remaining fixed.
- Plan for compound events, such as heat waves occurring alongside poor air quality or power outages.
- Use context-specific decision frameworks that support equitable, data-driven action.
The framework is designed to help city leaders answer three critical questions: when, where, and for whom heat presents the greatest risk. By integrating climate science with public health, infrastructure, and social factors, the approach aims to improve emergency response, long-term planning, and investments that build more resilient communities.
DPI's Climate Hub, brings together researchers across disciplines to develop practical, AI-enabled solutions for climate resilience and environmental justice. Under Sharma's leadership, the hub partners with government agencies, national laboratories, community organizations and others to translate cutting-edge research into actionable strategies for cities facing the growing impacts of climate change.