MODELING THE INTERSECTIONS OF URBAN HEAT ISLANDS AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

Abstract

As climate change continues to cause hotter summers and warmer winters, studying the effects of this heat is increasingly important so that mitigation steps can be taken now rather than when it becomes too late. The urban heat island effect is caused by urban surfaces retaining more solar radiation and emitting more heat than natural surfaces would. Urban heat islands pose threats to vulnerable populations, such as those who are of a lower socioeconomic status, the unhoused, and the elderly. The Spokane Metropolitan Area is the largest city in eastern Washington and has continually seen an increase in average summer temperatures over the past twenty years. Local communities and universities have begun to monitor how the more extreme heat events are affecting the local environment and planning for further changes, and the city’s Urban Forestry Department is working to increase the city’s tree canopy to 30% by 2030. This study uses a compilation of thermal data from the summer months of 2020 and 2024 to identify the hottest parts of the city, and census data to identify how those break down by demographic. Mitigation is modeled by using building footprints to showcase how a Cool Roof program would assist in dispersing heat more effectively.