2 minute read
social vulnerability to heat
Once we set the inputs for our spatial analysis, we performed map algebra to add the surface temperature data to our social vulnerability index.
The first ranked map holds all variables equal. We did not trust this initial attempt. The results were painted with a broad stroke, and a large amount of neighborhoods were subsumed under the same classification categories without providing much specificity.
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Similarly, we were unsatisfied with the level of detail the second map was providing. When assigning more weight to heat, despite having a more granular picture of the relation between surface temperature and social variables, we did not obtain specific information about neighborhoods especially vulnerable to heat.
high vulnerability score : 45
low vulnerability score : 8
We ultimately decided to assign our social vulnerability index double the weight than our temperature data. This decision took into consideration a premise of our scope: we wanted to show the disproportionate effects of exposure to extreme heat in the city.
This third map highlights the most vulnerable neighborhoods during the hottest days of the year. Areas of the South Bronx, Queens, and the Lower East Side in Manhattan, clearly showed the spatial relationship between social vulnerability and heat.
12 - 21 22- 28 29- 35 36 - 40 41- 45 low Surface Temperature (x2) + Social Vulnerability (x1) Weighted Map 1 high vulnerability score : 55
low vulnerability score : 9
high 0 5 10
low vulnerability score : 15
