Extreme Heat Mitigation

Treating Heat as Infrastructure, Not an Inconvenience

Extreme heat is no longer an occasional challenge in Palm Springs.
It is a defining condition.

Managing heat responsibly is now as essential as managing roads, water, and public safety. The question facing Palm Springs is not whether heat mitigation matters—but whether the city is approaching it with the urgency, coordination, and modern tools it requires.

Where Palm Springs Is Today

Palm Springs has long understood heat as part of desert life.

The city already benefits from:

• A culture of seasonal awareness

• Building standards that reflect climate realities

• Community knowledge about heat safety

• Existing shade, cooling, and emergency response measures

These efforts are meaningful—but they were designed for a climate that no longer exists.

The Reality We Must Plan For

Extreme heat today affects more than comfort. It affects health, mobility, equity, and economic activity.

Key challenges include:

• Public spaces that become unusable for months at a time

• Increased health risks for seniors, children, outdoor workers, and unhoused residents

• Reduced walkability, limiting access to services and businesses

• Heat-related strain on emergency services and healthcare systems

Heat does not affect everyone equally—and mitigation must reflect that.

What Change-Oriented Leadership Is Focused On

Modern heat mitigation treats temperature as a design problem, not a personal responsibility issue.

Change-focused candidates are prioritizing structural solutions that reduce exposure, not just awareness.

1. Shade as Essential Infrastructure

Shade is not decorative—it is protective.

Modern approaches include:

• Expanding shade coverage along sidewalks, transit corridors, and commercial streets

• Prioritizing shade in areas with high pedestrian use

• Integrating shade structures into public projects from the start, not as add-ons

If people can’t safely move through a city, the city isn’t functioning.

2. Tree Canopy & Desert-Appropriate Landscaping

Trees are one of the most effective natural cooling tools—when selected and placed responsibly.

Priorities include:

• Expanding tree canopy using water-efficient, desert-appropriate species

• Targeting heat-vulnerable neighborhoods first

• Coordinating canopy planning with long-term water strategy

Tree coverage should be strategic, not symbolic.

3. Cooling-Centered Urban Design

Urban design choices directly influence temperature.

Change-oriented leadership supports:

• Heat-reflective and permeable materials in streets and public spaces

• Building orientation and spacing that reduce heat trapping

• Design standards that prioritize airflow and shade

Cities can either amplify heat—or reduce it. Design determines which.

4. Public Cooling Access & Safety

Extreme heat is a public health issue.

Responsible mitigation includes:

• Clearly identified and accessible cooling centers

• Extended hours during heat emergencies

• Clear communication during extreme heat events

• Coordination between city services, nonprofits, and healthcare providers

Preparedness saves lives—quietly and consistently.

Heat Mitigation Is an Equity Issue

Those most affected by extreme heat often have the fewest options to avoid it.

A serious heat strategy considers:

• Seniors living alone

• Outdoor and service workers

• Families without flexible schedules

• Residents without access to private cooling

Protecting the most vulnerable protects the entire community.

Planning for a Hotter Future—Now

Heat mitigation cannot wait for emergencies to dictate action.

Modern leadership means:

• Setting measurable goals for shade and cooling coverage

• Integrating heat mitigation into every public project

• Coordinating heat strategy with housing, transit, and economic planning

• Planning on decade-long timelines—not election cycles

Extreme heat is predictable.
Preparedness should be too.

A City Designed to Be Lived In

Palm Springs will always be warm.
But it does not have to be unsafe, inaccessible, or exclusionary.

With thoughtful planning, modern design, and clear accountability, Palm Springs can remain:

• Walkable

• Welcoming

• Healthy

• Livable

Even as temperatures rise.

Looking Forward

Extreme heat mitigation is not a luxury investment—it is basic civic responsibility.

Change-minded leadership isn’t proposing radical solutions.
It’s proposing modern ones.

For the climate we live in.
For the people who live here.
For the future we’re building.