Abstract
<jats:p>Extreme heat is a deadly and growing threat to cities worldwide. As recognition of heat risks increases, local governments have begun developing Heat Action Plans (HAPs) to outline goals, relevant information, and strategies for mitigating and managing heat in their communities. As a relatively new area of planning, there is limited guidance on what HAPS should contain, how they should be implemented, and how to determine if they are effective. Recognizing this need, the Red Cross’s Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) advocates for and facilitates the development of multi-stakeholder local HAPs and has commissioned this study examining the content of HAPs from cities around the world and how they are implemented and evaluated. In collaboration with GDPC, our research team from Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and the University of Washington systematically analyzed the content of HAPs from different regions of the world in Phase I and II of the study. In Phase III, our team interviewed local officials involved in HAP development and implementation to understand their impact. Based on this analysis, in Phase IV, we developed and piloted an actionable HAP Implementation and Effectiveness (HAPIE) Tool that cities can use to track the implementation and effectiveness of HAPs.</jats:p>