Urban Heat Island (UHI) Toolkits

Report / June 29, 2026 / Codes And Policy

In the US, heat is the most fatal weather event, surpassing floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes, and over four times more fatal than cold temperatures. In cities, heat and its impacts are exacerbated by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which causes urban areas to be significantly warmer than their surrounding rural landscapes. As buildings and infrastructure replace vegetation, cities lose much of the cooling that nature facilitates, as urban surfaces absorb more of the sun’s energy. These resources identify strategies that policymakers, planners, designers, developers, and others can pursue to reduce the UHI effect in different climates.

Urban Heat Island In Cold Climates

This toolkit contains strategies tailored specifically to the needs of cities located in mixed to very cold climates, and which have year-round benefits.

Urban Heat and Wildfire

This resource identifies strategies that policymakers, planners, designers, developers, and others can pursue to reduce the UHI effect while also mitigating wildfire risks and minimizing unintended tradeoffs.

Urban Heat and Embodied Carbon

This resource identifies strategies and offers recommendations that policymakers, planners, designers, developers, and others can pursue to reduce the UHI effect while also minimizing the carbon and environmental impacts of the materials that are chosen to pursue those strategies.