Urban Heat Exposure Tripled in Cities Between 1983 and 2016

Record-breaking heat is now routine in many parts of the world. A 2003 heatwave in southwestern Europe produced temperatures not experienced in the region since the sixteenth century and resulted in more than 70,000 deaths. In 2024, Europe recorded its hottest summer on record.

In urban environments, where most of the world’s population lives, the problem is especially acute. A 2021 study evaluated more than 13,000 cities and found that the extent to which city-dwellers were exposed to temperatures above 30 °C nearly tripled between 1983 and 2016.

Cutting-edge materials and thoughtful urban planning can help cities reduce heat exposure. An architect at the Chinese University of Hong Kong stated that building a city inevitably makes it hotter due to physics. This problem will grow as the climate crisis worsens and cities expand.