FOR MILLENNIA,cities have thrived by attracting people with diverse backgrounds and talents. But as the world warms, urban centers are attracting much more of something less desirable: excess heat. A city's roads, buildings, and other infrastructure absorb the sun's energy, raising temperatures far above those in surrounding rural areas. This "urban heat island" effect varies significantly, not only from neighborhood to neighborhood but from block to block and even house to house. A person's actual experience of heat may vary dramatically-and dangerously-from what their local weather forecast tells them to expect. And with climate change driving more extreme heat events, it's increasingly difficult to keep vulnerable populations safe.
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