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Dallas will expand its ‘urban heat island’ study this summer

Volunteers are needed to collect data across the city.

Next month, the city of Dallas will conduct a second round of urban heat island mapping to continue identifying the city’s hottest areas.

Mapping the hot spots will help city officials make decisions about how to combat extreme heat and stay on track with the city’s Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan, according to a news release. The plan was created in 2020 to establish protocols for Dallas to adapt to the challenges of climate change.

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Heat islands are urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than the surrounding countryside. Buildings and roads absorb and release more of the sun’s heat than natural landscapes. Areas where such structures are concentrated and green space is limited become “heat islands,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Some neighborhoods that will participate in the study are Kiest Park, Mountain Creek, Pleasant Grove, Buckner Terrace, Bahama Beach Water Park, Lakewood, Casa View, North Dallas, Far North Dallas, Cypress Waters and northwest Dallas.

The city will map about 245 square miles on Aug. 10. Last year, 70 volunteers placed sensors on their cars and helped map about 100 square miles to pinpoint the hottest neighborhoods.

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In April, the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability shared the results of the first urban heat island mapping conducted in August 2023 in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The study found about 10 neighborhoods that were identified as urban heat islands where the temperature was 10 degrees hotter in these areas than in other parts of the city.

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Dallas joined other cities — including Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City and Sedona, Ariz. — in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2023 Urban Island Mapping Campaign.

Volunteers needed

The city is seeking volunteers to participate in this year. Volunteers need to attend an online training session to learn how to use the equipment and collect the data.

The mapping will occur on three shifts in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Volunteers may sign up for multiple shifts.

Residents can register at the Dallas Climate Action website.