In March, an unexpected spring heatwave brought record temperatures to much of the western United States, prompting warnings in several states. This followed several summers of unprecedented heat across the country, and one message became clear: we must prepare for hotter days ahead.

But for many decision-makers and planners, this is a daunting task. While many heat-decision-making tools are available, communities often lack practical guidance on how to create heat action plans and, crucially, implement them to address the unique problems they face locally.

Not anymore. The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation-led Center for Heat Resilient Communities has made a significant step toward bridging this gap with a new toolkit that gives communities a step-by-step guide to pinpoint their needs and match them with evidence-based planning activities.

“Building Heat Resilient Communities: A Toolkit for Local Planning, Decision-Making, & Action” features:

• A primer on heat-related topics with definitions of key terms
• Guided activities to collect evidence and engage organizations and community groups in decision-making
• Integrated worksheets to support data organization and interpretation
• Tools to develop customized and locally relevant heat resilience strategies

The toolkit provides information on concepts such as heat exposure and vulnerability; cultural and equity considerations for heat resilience; and how to best involve and collaborate with community members.