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Researchers unveiled a digital tool this week to help American cities battle life-threatening heat by pinpointing neighborhoods that lack sufficient shade coverage through shade maps.
UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation teamed up with American Forests to develop the online resource, which analyzes shade availability in 101 large metropolitan areas covering more than 360 municipalities across the country.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded the mapping initiative. American Forests, which advocates for urban forestry programs nationwide, now hosts the shade map on its Tree Equity Score website.
The platform reveals significant gaps in shade protection throughout most major cities, areas the research team terms “shade deserts.” These locations have minimal coverage from trees, buildings, or other structures that could shield residents from intense sunlight.
Heat exposure kills roughly 12,000 Americans annually, making inadequate shade a serious public health issue as urban temperatures climb higher each year.
V. Kelly Turner from UCLA’s Luskin Center said cities lack crucial information about shade distribution in their communities. “That’s where the Shade Map comes in. Never before has it been this easy for communities in the U.S. to know how much shade they have, where it is and whether the source is buildings or vegetation,” she said.
The research demonstrates trees far exceed buildings in providing daytime protection. When measured at midday, vegetation creates 25 times more shade than architectural structures, highlighting forests as a powerful defense against extreme temperatures.
Municipal leaders can examine shade patterns during three time periods, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., to identify priority areas for new cooling infrastructure. Some cities include block-by-block details for more targeted planning efforts.
The researchers created detailed case studies for three cities. Austin families can review shade along student walking paths to schools and compare coverage between different areas. Detroit officials can assess shade near bus stations, where protection matters for the city’s 85,000 daily transit users. Phoenix administrators can evaluate park shade as part of ongoing heat response programs.
Dense urban areas become significantly hotter than surrounding regions when concrete, asphalt, and building materials absorb daytime solar energy and slowly release it as temperatures. This phenomenon creates dangerous heat pockets that pose a threat to vulnerable populations.
Trees counter these effects by blocking direct sun exposure while releasing water vapor that naturally cools nearby air. This dual action helps reduce neighborhood temperatures during peak heat periods.
City planners, neighborhood associations, and individual residents can use the free online platform to support requests for strategic tree planting and shade structures in areas with the greatest need.
Climate scientists predict more frequent and intense heatwaves in the coming years, making shade infrastructure increasingly vital for protecting public health in urban environments.
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