Heat in Our Neighborhood
In Los Angeles County, valleys can get much hotter than the coast.
Learn what makes your community hotter or cooler than others!
Concrete, asphalt, and other hard surfaces make neighborhoods hotter.
Green spaces and trees cool them down.
Urban Heat Islands
Urban Heat Islands are neighborhoods that are especially hot because roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and roofs absorb heat during the day and release heat at night.
Urban Heat Islands have fewer trees and green spaces that cool down neighborhoods. Because of LA’s history of racism in urban planning, Urban Heat Islands are more often in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods.
Here are 4 ways you can make your neighborhood cooler:
Install cool or alternative pavements, like gravel, to reduce the heat absorbed by asphalt. And remove artificial turf— it can get dangerously hot!
Plant trees to cool air, create shade, save energy, and improve local air quality.
Install a cool roof on your home to reflect heat and reduce air conditioner use. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) offers rebates for cool roofs!
Join an organization that is working on this issue in LA! (See below!)
