Adapting to Urban Heat: A Tool Kit for Local Governments

The HEAT tool is designed to enable users to conduct economic assessments of the health impacts of walking or cycling. The tool is based on the best available evidence and transparent assumptions. It is intended to be simple to use by a wide variety of professionals at both national and local levels. These include primarily transport planners, traffic engineers, and special interest groups working on transport, walking, cycling, or the environment. The HEAT estimates the value of reduced mortality that results from specified amounts of walking or cycling. HEAT can be used as a stand-alone tool or to provide input into more comprehensive economic appraisal exercises or prospective health impact assessments.

This tool will help achieve the goal of the following objectives

Less Contamination
Less Emissions
Less Traffic Noise
Connectivity and Inclusion
Healthy Destinations
Less Traffic Violence
Active Transportation
Green Space

Estimation Technique

The Urban Heat Tool Kit estimates the amount of heat that is stored in urban areas. It does this by looking at how much heat is being emitted from the ground and how much is being reflected into the atmosphere. The Tool Kit also takes into account the wind speed and direction, as well as the humidity, to estimate how much heat is being transported through the air.