Along with rising temperatures, the number of days over 90 degrees is rising in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Historically, Philadelphia averaged 21 days at 90 degrees or higher annually; however, July 2020 alone recorded 21 days in the nineties. Projections show Philadelphia will double the number of 90-degree days by 2030. Due to a history of disinvestment and fewer green spaces, the increasing heat unequally impacts low-income communities and communities of color. The Hunting Park neighborhood of mostly Hispanic and Black residents records surface temperatures more than 22 degrees hotter than greener areas in the city. The increased heat leads to an increase in health risks in the neighborhood. Drexel University, the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, and the non-profit Esperanza collaborated to install cooling structures of umbrellas and planter boxes in Hunting Park to combat heat. This study initiates the analysis to examine the effectiveness of the cooling structures. Comparisons of temperatures between neighborhood blocks in Hunting Park, analyzed the capability of the cooling structures to reduce heat by assessing the temperature difference between neighborhood blocks with and without cooling structures. With help from Civic Scientists collecting temperature data with mobile sensors, the localization of urban heat islands was determined to help assess areas within Hunting Park with an increase in heat disparity. A methodology to determine hyper local urban heat islands to assess heat disparities within neighborhoods with more precision was developed. Implementations of cooling structures will be guided by the findings to prioritize areas with the greatest increased heat exposure.
