Examining Race and Class Disparities in Urban Heat: Towards Environmental Justice in Urban Planning

The interplay of climate change and urbanization has led to uneven heat exposure patterns, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities and raising critical concerns about environmental justice. While studies primarily in the United States highlight the heightened heat vulnerability of low-income and ethnic minority groups, similar analyses are still lacking for other countries, creating a significant gap in understanding global environmental inequities. This gap limits assessment of socio-economic and ethnic disparities to identify shortcomings in urban planning strategies.

This study aims to integrate social and environmental sciences to address environmental injustice by investigating the relationship between extreme heat exposure and socio-economic disparities across municipalities or counties for various countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, and the U.K. The research leverages satellite-derived land surface temperature data at daytime and nighttime for summer and census datasets from countries to examine key socio-economic indicators, such as education levels, age distribution, and the proportion of foreign-born populations. Additionally, the study delves into urban planning parameters including green spaces, building density and local climate zones to assess their correlation with land surface temperatures, and also air temperature and heat stress indices for the case of Germany.

The findings reveal varying levels of heat exposure disparities across countries and its severe consequences for vulnerable populations, emphasizing the urgent need for equitable urban planning. This research calls on policymakers and urban planners to address environmental injustices by prioritizing inclusive interventions aimed at mitigating socio-economic and racial disparities in urban heat exposure. Furthermore, the study serves as a framework for conducting similar analysis worldwide, supporting the development of equitable and sustainable urban environments.