Gabbe publishes on urban heat planning with recent ESS graduates
A research team led by Greg Pierce (UCLA) and C.J. Gabbe (SCU) has unveiled new findings about urban planning for extreme heat in California's smaller municipalities. Their recently published study in Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability explores the landscape of urban heat resilience beyond major metropolitan areas.
Three recent ESS graduates – Bates Detwiler, Paulina Ursua Garcia, and Hannah Hagen – played a prominent role in the research, titled "Planning for Heat Beyond the Big City: Comparing Smaller Cities' Heat Activities, Opportunities, and Constraints in California.” These three alumni – during their time as student researchers – were instrumental in conducting the project’s content analysis through their work collecting and analyzing data from plans in Los Angeles County and the San Joaquin Valley.
Key findings from the research include significant variation in heat planning among smaller California cities. The study also highlighted significant challenges facing these municipalities, including limited staff time, insufficient funding, and limited resources for heat resilience.