SCC-Planning: Building Capacity for Smart and Connected Management of Thermal Extremes

作为美国与天气有关的死亡的主要原因，极端炎热和寒冷极大地影响了美国人的福祉。由于影响风险的基础设施和社会因素的变化，城市地区的冷热影响分布不均。许多不同的机构、组织和个人通过广泛的准备和应对活动参与了极端高温和寒冷事件的管理。改善行动的协调和数据资源的利用将增加为尽量减少冷热不利影响而进行的公共和私人投资的回报，并减少与天气有关的死亡率、发病率、不适和生产力损失。该研究项目将检查纽约州布法罗市和亚利桑那州坦佩市与冷热管理有关的现有做法。该项目涉及评估这两个城市的社区伙伴做法、目标和需求，重点是了解合作伙伴如何使用和寻求与天气、卫生、能源、交通和其他相关因素有关的数据。对这两个城市的研究将为在未来的研究中更全面地评估差距和机会奠定基础，以减少美国各地城市极端高温的影响。这项规划拨款的目标是与城市利益相关者合作，研究美国选定的城市如何衡量极端高温对城市居民的暴露和影响；记录使用现有热力和相关数据流的当前方法和障碍，为当地政府的战略和计划提供信息；并与坦佩和布法罗的机构合作，设计一种研究与行动相联系的方法，将社会和技术基础设施结合起来，建立社区管理极端高温影响的能力。规划补助金的范围包括三个主要成果。首先，项目调查人员将与城市利益相关者合作，在布法罗和坦佩试点对极端高温管理进行综合评估，这两个城市被选中代表不同的环境和社会条件。其次，调查人员和城市利益相关者将共同开发一种半结构化访谈工具，可用于市政府极端热管理的国家评估。最后，该团队将共同开发一个智能互联热管理集成概念框架。这一框架将作为在规划赠款期之后继续进行的未来研究活动的基础，并作为市政当局和研究人员的组织工具。规划资助活动将提供工具，使研究人员与基于实践的方法联系起来，以管理极端高温。这项工作还将提供可推广的方法和指导，以帮助城市业务在管理复杂的、有时相互竞争的优先事项方面更加有效和全面协调。拟议的活动将促进我们对社会技术方法的理解，以减少热死亡率和发病率，同时提高热舒适性和幸福感，从而使社会受益。

As the nation's leading cause of weather-related deaths, extreme heat and cold substantially impact human well-being in the United States. The impacts of heat and cold are unevenly distributed in urban areas as a result of variability in infrastructure and social factors that influence risk. Many different agencies, organizations, and individuals are involved in the management of extreme heat and cold events through a wide range of preparedness and response activities. Improved coordination of actions and utilization of data resources would increase the return on public and private investments made to minimize adverse impacts of heat and cold and lead to reduced instances of weather-related mortality, morbidity, discomfort, and lost productivity. This research project will examine existing practices related to the management of heat and cold in the cities of Buffalo, New York, and Tempe, Arizona. The project involves assessment of community partner practices, goals, and needs in these two cities with an emphasis on learning about how partners use and seek data related to weather, health, energy, transit, and other relevant factors. Examination of these two cities will lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive assessment of gaps and opportunities for reducing the impact of thermal extremes in municipalities across the United States, in future research.The objectives of this planning grant are to work collaboratively with city stakeholders to examine how select cities in the United States are measuring exposure and impacts of thermal extremes on urban residents; document current approaches to and barriers of using existing thermal and related data streams to inform local government strategies and programs; and collaborate with agencies in Tempe and Buffalo, to design a linked research-action approach that integrates social and technological infrastructure to build capacity for communities to manage the impacts of thermal extremes. The scope of the planning grant includes three main outcomes. First, project investigators will work with city stakeholders to pilot an integrated assessment of thermal extremes management in Buffalo and Tempe, which were chosen to represent diverse environmental and social conditions. Second, the investigators and city stakeholders will co-develop a semi-structured interview instrument that can be used for national assessment of thermal extremes management among municipal governments. Finally, the team will co-develop a Smart and Connected Thermal Management integrated conceptual framework. This framework will serve as the basis for future research activities continuing beyond the planning grant period, as well as an organizational tool for municipalities and researchers. The planning grant activity will provide tools for connecting researchers with practice-based approaches for management of thermal extremes. This effort will also provide generalizable approaches and guidance to help city operations become more effective and coordinated overall in managing complex and sometimes competing priorities. The proposed activity will benefit society by advancing our understanding of social-technological approaches to reduce thermal mortality and morbidity while enhancing thermal comfort and well-being.