Equity and justice in heat planning across small, midsize, and large cities in the US

Abstract

Cities globally are facing growing concerns related to extreme heat. Given the uneven distribution of heat impacts within cities and among residents, heat planning requires attention to vulnerability, equity and justice. Yet, little is known about how cities of different sizes are planning for heat and integrating equity and justice into those efforts. Here, we analyze heat planning documents in 95 U.S. cities of different sizes and find that larger cities adopt more comprehensive approaches and give greater attention to equity and justice in heat-related plans than midsize and small cities. City size, plan year and type, and political orientation are significant predictors of a city's incorporation of equity and justice. This incorporation is not evenly distributed across justice themes, heat strategies, and plan types. Procedural justice is the least integrated dimension. Some vulnerable groups such as renters, women and gender minorities, and Indigenous peoples are rarely considered. Planners and decision-makers should work closely with local communities to co-design heat strategies grounded in lived experience and explicitly set justice as a key value in heat governance frameworks.