Philadelphia residents are confronting more frequent and intense heatwaves, a growing challenge for cities around the world. In neighborhoods with limited tree cover, that means hotter sidewalks, higher health risks, and fewer shaded routes for daily life. A new spatial mapping tool from Frank Chen, a graduate of the Weitzman School of Design, aims to help solve that problem.
“Heat is a public health issue and it’s causing deaths globally,” said Chen. By prioritizing blocks with the least shade and the most foot traffic, his tool helps identify where new trees would provide the greatest benefit to residents.
For example, pedestrians are active in Center City Philadelphia, but tall buildings already provide shade, thereby reducing the need for street trees. Contrast that with suburban areas with shorter infrastructure, where planting trees may create more shade overall, but fewer pedestrians are around to feel the benefits.
“My work is to build a model [that] gives an optimal balanced choice between these two objectives,” continued Chen, referring to the sweet spots where pedestrians 2 benefit from street tree location and maximal shade production. “I think the city can use this project for a reference about where the trees are most needed; if we plant trees in those places, the overall benefit for the citizens is maximized.”
His research exemplifies Penn’s broader commitment to strengthening Philadelphia’s communities by leveraging university expertise and resources to address pressing concerns relating to climate resilience and urban development.