School of Sustainability Graduate Culminating Experiences

BACKGROUND: The City of Phoenix initiated the HeatReady program in 2018 to prepare for extreme heat, as there was no official tool, framework, or mechanism at the city level to manage extreme heat. The current landscape of heat safety culture in schools, which are critical community hubs, has received less illumination. HeatReady Schools—a critical component of a HeatReady City—are those that are increasingly able to identify, prepare for, mitigate, track, and respond to the negative impacts of schoolgrounds heat. However, minimal attention has been given to formalize heat preparedness in schools to mitigate high temperatures and health concerns in schoolchildren, a heat-vulnerable population. This study set out to understand heat perceptions, (re)actions, and recommendations of key stakeholders and to identify critical themes around heat readiness. METHODS: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods case study approach was used. These methods focused on acquiring new insight on heat perceptions at elementary schools through semi-structured interviews using thematic analysis and the Delphi panel. Participants included public health professionals and school community members at two elementary schools—one public charter, one public—in South Phoenix, Arizona, a region that has been burdened historically with inequitable distribution of heat resources due to environmental racism and injustices. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated that 1) current heat safety resources are available but not fully utilized within the school sites, 2) expert opinions support that extreme heat readiness plans must account for site-specific needs, particularly education as a first step, and 3) students are negatively impacted by the effects of extreme heat, whether direct or indirect, both inside and outside the classroom. CONCLUSIONS: From key informant interviews and a Delphi panel, a list of 30 final recommendations were developed as important actions to be taken to become “HeatReady.” Future work will apply these recommendations in a HeatReady School Growth Tool that schools can tailor be to their individual needs to improve heat safety and protection measures at schools.

Electric vehicles (EV’s) are quickly expanding in California. Improved battery technology, range, more competitive cost compared to gas cars, incentives and legislation have all led EV’s into the mainstream car market. Recently, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to require that all new passenger cars sold in California be zero-emission vehicles by 2035 making it the first state in the U.S. to do so. However, many cities are not ready for this massive shift to electric vehicles yet play a crucial role in helping to expand EV infrastructure and support policies that help the transition. While the state of California has made tremendous strides reducing CO2 from power plants with a major pivot to renewable energy, the same can’t be said for the transportation sector which represents approximately 40% of California’s overall emissions. California will be unable to meet its state climate and air quality goals without a major shift to zero emission vehicles. Although deploying EV chargers can be a complex process with many different stakeholders, the Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan (EVRP) provides California city planners with information to assist them in expanding critically needed EV infrastructure. EVRP serves as a guide to understanding the EV market, basics of EV charging, incentives, legislation, potential project partners, and also makes specific recommendations for cities to expand EV infrastructure to make EV charging more accessible now and for future EV drivers in cities across California.