This study focused on public elementary schools (n = 86) in Travis County, Texas. We generated Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) maps to reveal the spatial distribution of urban heat island intensity within a two-mile Euclidean buffer around each school to capture multiple commuting routes. We first created rasters of vegetation and buildings from LiDAR point clouds, then inputted these rasters to Solar and LongWave Environmental Irradiance Geometry model (SOLWEIG) model within the Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor (UMEP) plug-in in QGIS.
This study represents a first step in a multi-tiered project. Next stages will involve utilizing the PET maps along with data on sociodemographic characteristics and commuting behavior from students at these schools who wore accelerometers and GPS devices during their school commutes as part of the ongoing STREETS Study. This analysis will elucidate heat exposure and stress experienced by children on a microclimate level during their commutes to and from school. The implications of this research extend to quantifying the real-world experience of children exposed to varying degrees of heat. By determining the levels of heat exposure felt by children, this study can inform evidence-based policymaking by identifying areas for urban heat management, which can ultimately result in a more equitable urban environment.

