Co-developing Countywide Equitable Heat Solutions for Local Governments and Communities in King County, Washington

Extreme heat is the primary cause of weather-related fatalities nationally. Though rising temperatures affect everyone, not everyone is impacted equally. In King County, climate change and events like the devastating 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Dome have underscored the need to plan for heat year-round and in disproportionately impacted communities. This presentation will highlight how King County worked with frontline communities and local partners to develop a comprehensive, equity-focused approach to heat resilience in King County. The King County Extreme Heat Mitigation Strategy drew on input from over 900 individuals, a 2020 heat mapping study, and review of national best practices to include twenty near term and longer-term heat mitigation actions related to the built environment, urban forestry, green spaces, emergency heat response, multilingual outreach, and building resilience in heat-sensitive communities. Specific activities include support for city urban tree canopy goals, Resilience Hubs, developing building and energy code amendments, drowning prevention, and increasing funding and capacity for community-led solutions. This presentation will focus on the interdisciplinary engagement process used to develop the strategy, how strategy actions will reduce heat risks for vulnerable communities, and creation of data visualization tools to support implementation. The presentation will also highlight some of the unique challenges of planning for heat in a traditionally cool climate.