OUR VISION
Heat-resilient communities that protect people’s health and well-being where they live, learn, work, and play
OUR APPROACH
We inform and lead new governance, policy, and program strategies to protect communities and populations vulnerable to heat.
NEWS!
Luskin Center for Innovation’s heat team, in partnership with American Forests, created a national map to help federal, state, and local decision-makers identify existing “shade deserts” and prioritize investments to mitigate the impacts of heat. This is the first time communities have an accessible way to see how much shade they have, where it is, and whether it comes from buildings or vegetation.
EXPERTS
V. Kelly Turner, Associate Director
Edith de Guzman, Policy Specialist
Trace Lane, Senior Project Manager & Researcher
Lana Zimmerman, Associate Project Manager
Zach Wampler, Project Coordinator
Gregory Pierce, Research and Co-Executive Director; Director, Human Right to Water Solutions Lab
Lauren Dunlap, Project Manager
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Contact Dr. V. Kelly Turner
NEWS
LA’s fiercest rivals — USC and UCLA — team up to cool the region ahead of 2028
ShadeLA aims to expand urban tree canopy and shade infrastructure, building heat resilience for Angelenos.
Turning data into dialogue: Luskin Center for Innovation-inspired art exhibit brings shade equity to life
Roots of Cool: A Celebration of Trees and Shade in a Warming World, a new exhibition running from July 12 to October 12 at Descanso Gardens, brings shade equity to life through a multisensory art experience.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Made in the shade (Torched LA)
A new art show brings L.A. climate inequities to life at Descanso Gardens (Los Angeles Times)
In a Hotter World, We Need to Get Over Our Fear of Shadows (The New York Times)
