Incorporating Heat Vulnerability into Local Authority Decision Making: An Open Access Approach

Emma Ferranti*, Samuel Cook, Sarah Greenham*, Nick Grayson, Julie Futcher, Kat Salter

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

High temperatures and heatwaves are becoming more frequent, but heat vulnerability is rarely considered within local authority city design and statutory land-use planning processes. Here, we describe an approach to assess heat vulnerability in Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK. The approach uses open access data and GIS techniques that are available for built environment practitioners. Heat vulnerability is assessed by combining four datasets: surface temperatures, Local Climate Zones, green space, and Indices of Multiple Deprivation. The assessment shows that central and eastern areas of Birmingham that have the most compact urban form, least green space, and highest levels of deprivation are most vulnerable to heat. We evaluated the approach against previous climate research, examined the approach and datasets at the local scale, and described how heat vulnerability can be (and is being) incorporated into decision making. This project combines three key innovations: (1) the decision-centric process that focuses the method on the decision that needs to be made, minimizing inertia related to scientific or modeling uncertainty and reducing resource-intensity; (2) the co-creation process with Birmingham City Council, who have statutory powers for planning within the city, thereby ensuring that heat vulnerability is embedded within decisions on the suitability, design, and location of sites for future development; and (3) the open access and technically appropriate methodology which can be applied to any urban area in the UK, using the open access datasets described here, or globally, using locally applicable data sources.
Original languageEnglish
Article number13501
Number of pages23
JournalSustainability
Volume15
Issue number18
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Sept 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding:
This research was funded by an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council awarded to Ferranti: EP/R007365/1. Greenham acknowledges funding from Natural Environment Research Council: NE/S003487/1. The APC was funded by University of Birmingham.

Keywords

  • climate adaptation
  • climate resilience
  • heat-risk management
  • Nature Based Solutions
  • Action Research

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