The Site Analysis: Landscape

The Inner Loop is almost entirely urbanized, and experiences some of the highest concentrations of urban heat island effect (places where the ground temperature is hotter than average typically due to dark-colored paving that absorbs and emits radiant heat) in the Phoenix region. There are a handful of parks throughout the Loop that have cooler temperatures and are often co-located with indoor cooling centers. Parks are critical cooling infrastructure because they are free public places where people without air conditioning can go during hot days to experience reduced temperatures. The parks create micro-climates of reduced heat and better air quality; the quality of parks (determined by size, landscaping, and tree canopy coverage) varies throughout the Loop in regard to usage, amenities, and cooling benefits. Cooler parks extend their benefits to the surrounding neighborhood as well.

Presently, most parks within the Loop are not wellconnected to their surrounding neighborhoods by foot. Most parks are designed for people to drive to them, with large, paved parking lots that produce urban heat island effect. Many surrounding streetscapes that nearby neighbors would use to walk to the parks do not have shaded features such as trees, canvas covers, or tall buildings. The mapping shows parks, tree canopy coverage, and the street network in the Inner Loop, highlighting areas where cooled streetscapes are most needed to expand pedestrian access to parks. Planting trees and providing built shade along these corridors would help the city meet its Climate Action Plan Goal H-1, “Create a network of 100 cool corridors in vulnerable communities by 2030 to facilitate movement of people walking, biking and using transit, particularly within and connecting to Transit Oriented Development Districts, Village Cores, and Centers.”

Under-shaded street map

Source: Hazel O’Neil