Heat affects health across the lifespan, with heat-related deaths being the leading cause of weather-related mortality. Proactive climate governance can prevent the health harms of heat. Policies and action plans are primary tools that cities use to address extreme heat and implement solutions to protect frontline populations and critical infrastructure. While many cities have developed such policies, their scope remains largely unknown. Policies and action plans that can reduce the impacts of extreme heat on health can be found in all sectors - housing, energy affordability, health care, sustainability, occupational, urban planning, and climate resilience and mitigation.

The CATCH team catalogued publicly-available plans and policies across Boston, Phoenix, and New Orleans into this searchable Urban Heat Action and Policy Database. In this context, the CATCH team defined “policy” broadly to include heat action plans, initiatives, pilot projects, ordinances, and legislation. The database aims to streamline policy searches and support city leaders, researchers, and residents to take action to reduce urban heat, drive sustainability, and foster healthy communities.
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Use the menu below to search through hundreds of policies from cities across the U.S.

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