Cities around the world have experienced record-smashing heat waves over the last few years, causing millions of heat-related illnesses and deaths around the world.

Protecting people from extreme heat in cities will be one of the central challenges of climate adaptation in the 21st century. At the same time, many cities have pledged to reduce their carbon footprints — even as the need for air conditioning expands — in an attempt to hit net zero by 2050.

How can cities balance the need to cool off with the urgent imperative to reduce carbon emissions? 

On October 26 at 9 a.m. Pacific/12 p.m. Eastern, join Annual Reviews, Knowable Magazine and Future Tense for a conversation about how we can make cities cooler — and save lives — without further heating the planet. 

And, if you can't join us live, please register for access to the on-demand playback delivered to your inbox.

- What causes the urban heat island effect and why it disproportionately affects people living in poverty, the elderly and minority groups;

-How green infrastructure can help to lower urban temperatures and protect biodiversity;

-Why transparent, accurate data are crucial to reducing cities’ carbon emissions and reducing health impacts from heat waves.

Mayor Kate Gallego is dedicated to making Phoenix the most sustainable desert city in the United States. She has fostered investments in cool solutions, including the nation’s first publicly funded Office of Heat Response and Mitigation; launched the city’s successful cool pavement pilot; and led efforts to build infrastructure for electric vehicles. A graduate of Harvard University, she earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior professional pursuits include strategic planning and economic development for one of Arizona’s largest utility companies and service in state government as part of the Governor’s team.

Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Climate scientist Angel Hsu studies how cities around the globe are driving climate change — and what they can do to fix it. As the principal investigator of the Data-Driven EnviroLab at UNC, she uses data analytics to understand how urban heat affects people around the world and to quantify cities’ carbon emissions, gleaning insights that can inform policy interventions. She previously led the World Resources Institute’s efforts to develop corporate greenhouse gas accounting and reporting initiatives in developing countries, including China. She is also an author on the sixth International Panel on Climate Change Report.

Henry Grabar writes about cities for Slate. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.

This event is part of an ongoing series of live events and science journalism from Knowable Magazine and Annual Reviews, a nonprofit publisher dedicated to synthesizing and integrating knowledge for the progress of science and the benefit of society.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. 

Rethinking Cities in the Face of Extreme Heat