Rising temperatures have put heat firmly on the radar for U.S. cities, with heat waves that have become more frequent, more intense and more widespread during the past decade.

The year 2024 was another record-breaker for extreme temperatures. Phoenix experienced an unprecedented 100 consecutive days with temperatures reaching at least 100 degrees. Las Vegas set a new high with a scorching 120-degree day, and even Maine made headlines when parts of the state saw their first-ever Excessive Heat Warning. Such examples are the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Dangerously high temperatures are becoming a bigger problem for cities working to mitigate heat-related risks and improve resiliency.

“Areas around the world are seeing temperatures that are hotter and hotter for longer,” says Rives Taylor, a principal at the architecture firm Gensler. “So this is now a driver at the city level, developer level, community thinking level, and it is front and center for many, many