In July, the world saw the hottest day on record, and cities and towns around the world stepped up to the task of keeping their residents safe. While a single record-setting day is caused by many factors, including climate change and the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific, it reflects the very real challenges cities are facing. Heat is currently killing more people than any other climate-related hazard. It also has an adverse impact on workforce productivity and inflicts economic losses on workers whose health and working conditions are affected by extreme heat.

Over the last decade, growing research on spatial justice—whether different communities have equitable access to resources and infrastructure that improve quality of life—has highlighted how differences between city neighborhoods affect all kinds of life outcomes. Where you live and work matters. It dictates whether your days and nights get hotter and what protective factors, such as accessible greenspace and tree canopy, you have access to when the temperature rises. And it´s not happenstance who lives in these communities; it’s often the result of structural racism and economic forces like gentrification and displacement that drives those with fewer resources into places with less social and physical infrastructure to support better health. In addition, children, the elderly, informal dwellers and other marginalized communities are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat than others.

While the headlines can be daunting, the good news is that many city leaders understand these issues and are using economic development, climate policy, health policy, transportation, and infrastructure to improve health, address climate change, and advance socio-economic justice in their communities. For example, in 2021 several cities, including Athens, Miami, and Dhaka, appointed their first ever “Chief Heat Officer,” a role created to respond directly to the severity and scale of climate challenges.

Mayors and city governments are increasingly seen as “doers” rather than “delayers” because they find themselves on the front line of the climate crisis. That is, in part, because leaders are closer to the community and there is baked-in accountability at the local level; failure to act can lead to being voted out. And at a time when many wish for more ambitious and faster global action on climate, perhaps we can find solace by looking a little closer to home in our cities for results.

In short, as the climate changes, cities are prime locations for experimentation, and with increasing frequency, city leaders are looking to each other for ideas, lessons, and inspiration.

Read the full article about climate solutions in cities by Mehrnaz Ghojeh at Stanford Social Innovation Review.