City to host listening sessions on heat and shade mitigation plan this fall
The $400,000 state-funded plan will target vulnerable residents who walk, bike or take transit amid rising heat-related illness.
Palm Springs will hold a series of community listening events this fall focused on the city’s comprehensive shade and heat mitigation plan.
The city received a $400,000 grant from the California Department of Transportation in 2024 to develop a plan addressing the impacts of extreme heat on transportation. The plan will focus on heat mitigation strategies, such as shade structures and landscaping, to protect residents who rely on multi-modal transportation such as walking, cycling and transit.
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The grant money is “focused on vulnerable communities and those deemed most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,” said Jasmine Fields, director of sustainability for Palm Springs, at Tuesday’s Sustainability Commission meeting.
In 2023, Palm Springs accounted for 73% of heat-related illnesses in Riverside County. And the Coachella Valley as a whole experienced 22 heat-related deaths and 618 emergency visits that same year.
At the community listening sessions, residents can share their experiences, concerns and ideas regarding heat and shade in the city. All sessions are free and open to the public, and food and childcare will be provided. The meeting dates, times and locations are as follows:
- Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center
- Thursday, Oct. 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Demuth Community Center (Spanish-language session)
- Monday, Oct. 26 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at Ramon Mobile Park
- Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., held virtually via Zoom (Link will be provided at a later date)
The city asks that members of the public RSVP to the listening sessions at tr.ee/ps-heat.
The city will kick off community engagement on the plan at this week’s Extreme Heat Summit, where an information table will be set up focused on the comprehensive heat and shade plan. The consultants working on the plan also will “give a panel discussion about the work that they’re doing throughout California and specifically with our project,” Fields said Tuesday.
The summit is happening Friday at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Registration costs $28.50 and includes lunch, and limited space is still available, city staff said Tuesday.
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