UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Los Angeles has been rated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the city facing the highest risk of natural hazards in the near future. In particular, Los Angeles is vulnerable to the adverse health impacts of climate change-induced extreme heat. Communities of color and low-income households face the greatest risk from extreme heat due to unjust policies like redlining, which have today led to the inequitable distribution of the resources necessary for communities to protect themselves against extreme heat. This report uses existing research and municipal climate plans, a geospatial analysis, interviews with subject matter experts, community focus groups, and an online community survey to assess how the City of Los Angeles can better build equitable heat policy and long-term resilience among the most impacted and vulnerable communities. In this report, we assess nine policy options based on their alignment with community preferences, their effectiveness at improving the health outcomes of frontline communities, whether they target an equitable redistribution of heat adaptation resources distribution, and their financial and administrative feasibility for implementation by the City of Los Angeles. Based on this analysis, we recommend that the City of Los Angeles immediately expand access to green space in frontline neighborhoods, increase available at-home heat adaptation resources for frontline communities, equitably distribute pedestrian shade structures and water access in frontline communities, and improve the accessibility of communications about available heat adaptation resources. We also recommend the implementation of community ambassador programs, more accessible heat workplace trainings, and the expansion of the resilience center network after measures are put in place to improve their desirability to frontline community members. In addition, this report provides meaningful steps which the City of Los Angeles can take to implement or improve upon equity within existing policies and programs.