Building for Heat Resilience in Urban Areas

A majority of the population around the world, including nearly 80% of the U.S. population, reside in urban areas. As average temperatures rise and extreme heat events become more common due to climate change, the built environment and lack of vegetation in cities combine to make that heat even more intense for city residents. With heat being the number one natural disaster killer, mitigating its impact for city residents, especially children and the elderly who are most vulnerable, is critical.

Stanford scientists and urban experts will discuss a range of options for addressing heat challenges in cities that address cooling needs while also considering energy demand and pricing, including: new building materials and practices, tree canopy and increasing nature, and planning and land use.  

Speakers

Opening Remarks from Marta Segura, Chief Heat Officer & Climate Emergency Mobilization Director for the City of Los Angeles

Shanhui Fan, Joseph and Hon Mai Goodman Professor of the School of Engineering and, Professor, by courtesy, of Applied Physics at Stanford University

Anne Guerry, Senior Research Scientist at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and Chief Strategy Officer at Stanford Natural Capital Project

Dian Grueneich, Member, George P. Shultz Energy & Climate Task Force, Hoover Institution; Affiliated Scholar, Stanford Bill Lane Center for the American West

Moderated by Chris Field, Perry L. McCarty Director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment