NO-HEAT Project — Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization was awarded a $1 million Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to launch the Neutralizing Onerous Heat Effects on Active Transportation (NO-HEAT) project.
Overview
Phase 1: We have integrated urban microclimate and mobility data to identify communities and key walking and biking routes most vulnerable to dangerous heat exposure.
Phase 2: We are working with municipal and advocacy partners to conduct walk and bike audits and pilot cooling strategies to make active transportation safer and more resilient to climate change, including:
- Added greenery and tree canopy
- Reflective and/or cool surfaces
- Shaded shelters and wayfinding point
Project Partners
We are working with a range of partners on NO-HEAT to develop data and research, lead community walk and bike audits, and implement quick-build pilots in municipalities
-
Georgia Tech University, Research Partner
- Cities of Chelsea, Everett, Revere, and Framingham, Municipal Partners
- WalkMassachusetts, Engagement Partner
- MassBike, Engagement Partner
- Bike to the Sea, Engagement Partner
- Mystic River Watershed Association, Engagement Partner
Participate: Walk & Bike Audits
Thank you for your interest in joining walk and bike audits! While our group audits have closed for the season, you can explore a self-audit on any of the routes considered for this project.
NO-HEAT Data
Extreme heat can make walking, biking, and rolling uncomfortable, dangerous, or even life-threatening. To better understand how people experience extreme heat, we created a new dataset that estimates how it feels outdoors on a hot summer day in the Boston metro region. These data are available at a 1 meter resolution, which allows us to estimate how hot a person feels in the shade versus in the sun just a few steps away. We also produced data for different times of day, allowing us to estimate heat stress at the hottest part of the day. This level of detail supports planning for more targeted heat mitigation strategies.
This dataset represents the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), a measure of perceived thermal comfort that reflects how the human body experiences heat. UTCI incorporates environmental factors like temperature, humidity, wind speed, shade, and the materials in the built environment, along with physiological factors. UTCI is expressed in degrees Celsius and is similar to a “feels like” temperature commonly shown in smartphone weather apps, but more accurately reflects how people experience heat differently across time and space.
You can view this map in two ways. One view shows the UTCI temperature at every square meter in the Boston metropolitan region (excluding buildings). The other view shows UTCI mapped on the road network, showing how hot it feels for people traveling along each street or sidewalk.
Share Your Feedback: NO-HEAT Survey
If you’re unable to participate, but would like to share your thoughts on reducing heat stress while walking and biking, please take our survey! We are collaborating with the Mystic River Watershed Association to explore ways to enhance and improve features that make walking and biking safer and more comfortable. We’re looking forward to your feedback!
Learn More
Contact
For questions about NO-HEAT or accessibility for audits and meetings, please email Jenn Emiko Kaplan, Manager of Multimodal Planning and Design.