Association Between Racial Equity Plans and Political and Sociodemographic Factors in US Cities
Understanding cities’ approach to addressing inequities is important for measuring progress and developing effective strategies. From May to August 2023, we implemented topic and regression modeling approaches to assess how the 200 largest cities in the USA were planning to implement strategies to address racial inequity.
Integrated tree canopy expansion and cool roofs can optimize air temperature and heat exposure reductions in Boston
Tree canopy expansion and albedo management represent pathways to reduce urban heat. Here we develop a statistical model to downscale coarse resolution estimates of air temperature and estimate marginal impacts of tree canopy and cool roof solutions across southern New England during 2021–2022. We quantify how tree canopy and cool roof solutions can be integrated to maximize heat exposure reduction, given feasibility and cost constraints.
The Response of a Northeastern Temperate Forest to Future Scenarios of Climate Change and Energy Policies Through the 21st Century
Simulations suggest that carbon storage in forest ecosystems will continue to increase throughout the 21st century, but the increase will become increasingly limited by nitrogen availability. The energy policy scenarios are projected to continue a decline in atmospheric nitrogen deposition, which will slow carbon accumulation and further accelerate the ongoing nitrogen oligotrophication. Therefore, future management may need to consider the effects of increasing nitrogen limitation on the carbon sequestration potential and the structure and function of northeastern temperate forests.
Bridging the Gap Between Applied Meteorology and Climate Science: A White Roof Example
White roof is a widely-studied urban heat mitigation strategy and frequently incorporated into climate adaptation plans by cities. Assessing the effects of white roofs on temperature has often been approached from the perspective of applied meteorology. Here, the white roof problem is reframed to a climate science problem by focusing on the roof surface temperature, incorporating concepts of climate forcing, sensitivity, and feedback, and utilizing a linearized surface energy balance (SEB) model.
“But who takes care of the mom?”: The daily experiences of immigrant mothers navigating health in family life
This study qualitatively explores US immigrant mothers’ daily experiences navigating health in the context of the family budget and wider sociopolitical climate. We conducted semi-structured interviews from 9/2020-1/2021 in English and Spanish with 30 immigrant mothers of young children. Interviews were analyzed using both inductive and deductive analytic strategies.
Global warming risks dehydrating and inflaming human airways
Global warming increases water evaporation rates from planetary ecosystems. Here, we show that evaporation rates encountered during human breathing in dehydrating atmospheres promote airway inflammation and potentially exacerbate lung diseases. Together with climate model simulations, these findings suggest that most of the United States will be at elevated risk of airway inflammation by the latter half of this century.
IOC Affiliates Published and Presented Research on Housing and Eviction Protections
Recently, Boston University Initiative on Cities affiliates Dr. Molly Richard, a Postdoctoral Scholar at Boston University’s Center for Innovation in Social Science (CISS), and Dr. Kenton Card, an IOC Visiting Urban Scholar and current Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota, prominently shared their insights […]
Estimating air exchange rates in thousands of elementary school classrooms using commercial CO2 sensors and machine learning
In the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, maintaining clean air in school classrooms has become critical for ensuring student health and safety. Installing comprehensive carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring in schools has expanded opportunities for automating AER estimation, but most schools have limited computational resources and analytical capacity. To address this, we developed a cost-effective and scalable method to estimate AER by leveraging end-of-school day carbon dioxide concentrations recorded with thousands of commercial sensors in classrooms.
Maternal adverse childhood experiences and lifetime experiences of racial discrimination: Associations with current household hardships and intergenerational health
Growing evidence shows parents’ exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and lifetime experiences of racial discrimination (EOD) negatively impacts not only their own health, but also their children’s health. ACEs and EOD can be conceptualized as a reflection of shared underlying adversities and structural injustices that manifest in inequitable educational and employment opportunities and differential treatment by public policies and programs that impede parents’ capacity to support their families.
New Publication: “From heat racism and heat gentrification to urban heat justice in the USA and Europe”
A new article published in Nature Cities examines urban heat issues through new lenses of inequality, calling for researchers to bridge the gap between heat management and institutional discrimination. Focusing on the Global North, the authors, including IOC Director Loretta Lees and External Advisory Board Member Isabelle Anguelovski, argue that researchers and planners must consider […]