Geospatial Approaches to Measuring Personal Heat Exposure and Related Health Effects in Urban Settings

Abstract

Recent and projected changes in temperature extremes, including the intensification of heat waves, present a persistent health threat for urban residents. Due to limitations in data availability and the spatial representativeness of fixed-site temperature observations, there exists a notable gap in the geospatial sciences on the multi-scale characterization of geographic patterns of extreme heat and the associated correlation with individual vulnerability in urban settings. Studies employing individual-level exposure assessment methodologies are sparse. Yet rapid advancements in low-cost wearable sensors and other mobile technologies can be leveraged to capture geo-referenced environmental exposure (e.g., temperature) and health data (e.g., physiologic strain) to better understand and quantify the impacts of variations in individual microclimates. The emergence of new technologies and rich spatial datasets requires multidisciplinary collaboration to advance the science on place-based exposure to thermal extremes and the associated health impacts for at-risk populations in urban environments.