Urban heat hits poorest areas hardest, new street data shows

Extremeheatis increasingly affecting cities, with new data showing that the burden is rising fastest for poorer, densely populated communities. These areas are often more exposed and less able to cope with soaring temperatures, highlighting deep social and environmental inequalities in urban heat risk. A global data platform, launched this week, maps urban heat at street level, revealing how temperatures vary across neighbourhoods – and where interventions could reduce risk.

Cool Cities Lab, developed by the World Resources Institute’s Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities, allows planners to identify heat hotspots and test the potential impact of measures such as tree planting, shaded infrastructure and reflective roofing before they are implemented. Its release comes as governments face mounting pressure, including through UN climate negotiations, to respond to rising temperatures that are affecting public health, infrastructure and economic activity in cities. “For millions of people in cities, extreme urban heat is no longer a short-term event or seasonal disruption.

It’s an existential threat,” the platform said. At recent UN climate conferences, countries have acknowledged that while efforts to limit global warming continue, adaptation to intensifying heat is unavoidable, particularly in urban areas where exposure is concentrated. Globally, heat exposure is linked to an estimated 489 000 deaths a year.

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Its release comes as cities face rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves. In the world’s largest capital cities, the number of days exceeding 35°C has risen by 25% since the 1990s. “If global temperatures rise by 3°C, cities can expect the intensity and duration of heatwaves to double,” the platform warns.

As globalclimatenegotiations continue to emphasise both mitigation and adaptation, the pressure on cities to respond to heat – and to do so with precision – is increasing. The effects extend beyond mortality, with rising temperatures driving up hospital admissions, reducing labour productivity and placing additional strain on infrastructure.

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