2. Planning for Rural Heat Resilinece

Ladd Keith, Sara Meerow, Anne-lise Boyer, Minwoo Ahn

American Planning Association (APA)

"Rural planners are well positioned to elevate heat as a core planning priority, integrate heat considerations into existing plans and programs, strengthen partnerships, and advance community-based responses. Together, these efforts are key to building long-term, equitable, and locally supported rural heat resilience."

Note: This memo is available for all APA members. Otherwise, you need to purchase a pdf copy if you are a non-member of the APA. However, if you need a copy for free, please contact me.

1. Documenting rural heat health disparities in the U.S.
Minwoo Ahn, Ladd Keith, Heidi Brown 2025. Link (Global Heat Health Information Network)

NOAA CPO: "The Southwest Climate Adaptation Partnerships team published a new study on rural heat disparities using the U.S. National Emergency Medical Services Information System"

Our analysis systematically demonstrates with nuance that, in the U.S, rural regions tend to have worse HRI outcomes than urban regions despite the focus on urban heat. This difference is more pronounced in the Western U.S. than other regions.

To fully understand and address these disparities, we need better data collection and further research. We hope our findings encourage key stakeholders to prioritize rural heat resilience and improve health outcomes for those most at risk.