Assessing Heat Risks to Prepare Chelsea, Massachusetts for a Changing Climate

Chelsea, MA faces risks from extreme heat due to a changing climate. Many of its residents are vulnerable to rising summer temperatures because of low incomes, language barriers, and low education levels. The goal of this project was to identify the populations and geographic areas that may be particularly impacted by increasing temperatures and recommend best practices for the city’s consideration to mitigate negative impacts from extreme heat on the vulnerable populations. We researched strategies used by other US cities and we interviewed city officials to gain insight into the city’s capabilities and residents. We produced recommendations for strategies to be implemented in Chelsea, which we delivered to our sponsor, the Department of Planning and Development