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Green Spaces Are Key to Combating Record Heat in Marginalized Communities

August 26, 2025

Keith Lambert and millions of Americans are navigating extreme heat waves with temperatures exceeding 90°F, which disproportionately impacts people of color and low-income residents. Environmental justice advocates link this inequality to discriminatory housing policies like redlining, which has resulted in fewer green spaces and higher temperatures in minority neighborhoods. Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., killing an average of 350 New Yorkers annually, yet receives less attention than other natural disasters.

Who is affected

  • People of color and low-income residents
  • Black and brown communities
  • Elderly populations
  • Residents of segregated neighborhoods
  • Latino populations in California (90% face climate inequities)
  • Public transportation users, particularly in Texas communities of color
  • New Yorkers (with 350 heat-related deaths annually)
  • Residents of neighborhoods with fewer trees and green spaces
  • Middle-class families like Keith Lambert's

What action is being taken

  • Project Petals is creating green spaces in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods
  • Nonprofit Unlimited Potential is developing the urban forestry workforce to grow and maintain Phoenix's tree canopy
  • Houston's METRO transit authority is redesigning bus stops to provide heat relief
  • Cap Metro in Austin is implementing a plan to plant more trees near bus stops
  • UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute is maintaining a Latino Climate and Health Dashboard showing climate disparities
  • New York City is working to increase tree cover from 22 to 30 percent by 2035

Why it matters

  • Extreme heat is the top cause of weather-related fatalities nationwide
  • Heat disproportionately affects marginalized communities due to historical environmental injustices
  • Green spaces help filter air and lower temperatures in urban areas
  • High temperatures reduce public transit ridership, further isolating vulnerable populations
  • Climate change is making outdoor activities increasingly dangerous or unbearable
  • Data tools reveal that 90% of California's Latino population faces climate inequities
  • Heat waves are "incredibly deadly" yet "largely ignored" compared to other natural disasters

What's next

  • New York City is working toward increasing tree cover to 30 percent by 2035
  • More Houston bus stops are expected to be replaced over the next six months
  • The Latino Climate and Health Dashboard aims to help create a shift to more inclusive climate planning
  • Project Petals will continue creating green spaces to help communities cool down

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

Green Spaces Are Key to Combating Record Heat in Marginalized Communities