TAMPA, Fla. – In response to soaring temperatures and the increasing threat of extreme heat, the City of Tampa has unveiled its first-ever Heat Resilience Playbook. Developed in partnership with the University of South Florida and Resilient Cities Catalyst, this comprehensive plan outlines strategies to safeguard the city’s most vulnerable residents from the dangers of excessive heat.
Focusing primarily on East Tampa, the playbook outlines 18 actionable steps to enhance shade, expand access to cooling spaces, and incorporate heat resilience into future projects. While heat affects all residents, certain communities, particularly those with less tree cover and higher concentrations of vulnerable populations like seniors, children, and outdoor workers, are disproportionately impacted.
“The dangerously high temperatures we are experiencing make heat resilience one of our most urgent matters,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “Tampa’s first Heat Resilience Playbook will be a great resource as we enhance our strategy to provide long-lasting, as well as immediate, relief, particularly within our most vulnerable communities.”
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The playbook highlights the escalating heat trends in Tampa, noting that since 2016, the city has consistently experienced over 45 days per year with a heat index exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This number spiked to 89 days in 2022 and worsened in 2023, with July being the hottest on record. To identify the areas most in need of intervention, researchers at the University of South Florida developed the Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI), an assessment tool that combines various data points to guide city leaders and partners in prioritizing investments and assistance.
Whit Remer, Sustainability and Resilience Officer for the City of Tampa, emphasized the playbook’s broad applicability: “Although the playbook was created through a lens of equity, the policies and tools included in the playbook can be applied to all areas of the city, while also educating residents citywide with tips and programs to keep themselves, their homes, and their communities cool.”
To launch the Heat Resilience Playbook, the City of Tampa and its partners will host a community event on July 12, 2024, in an area identified as particularly vulnerable to heat. The event will feature a “cool corridor” simulation on North 22nd Street, showcasing interventions such as shaded sidewalks, hydration stations, misters, community gardens, and heat stress education.
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