Heat island mitigation benefits from the collaboration between researchers and stakeholders, interdisciplinary methods, and neighborhood-scale strategies that account for local priorities and constraints. Our main goal was to compare the possible effectiveness of heat island mitigation strategies to increase urban vegetation, such as planting trees or incorporating vegetation into rooftops, with strategies to increase the albedo of impervious surfaces. The specific stakeholder question guiding our research was the following: can heat island mitigation strategies reduce peak electricity demand in neighborhoods with potential electric distribution constraints.

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William Solecki (Hunter College, City University of New York)

Lily Parshal (Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University)

Barry Lynn (Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University)

Jennifer Cox (Hunter College, City University of New York)

Richard Goldberg (Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University)

Sara Hodges (Hunter College, City University of New York)

Stuart Gaffin (Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University)

Ronald Slosberg (L&S Energy Services)

Peter Savio (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA))

Frank Dunstan (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)

Mark Watson (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA))

Rosenzweig, C., W.D. Solecki, L. Parshall, B. Lynn, J. Cox, R. Goldberg, S. Hodges, S. Gaffin, R.B. Slosberg, P. Savio, F. Dunstan, and M. Watson, 2009: Mitigating New York City’s heat island: Integrating stakeholder perspectives and scientific evaluation. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 90, 1297-1312, doi:10.1175/2009BAMS2308.1