City of Everett Everett, MA

Urban Heat Island Assessment

BSC collaborated with the City of Everett to complete an Urban Heat Island Assessment for the City’s Summary of Findings Report. The project was supported by a $49,500 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program planning grant, which BSC helped the City secure.

Working with municipal staff and nonprofit partners, the project identified climate-related hazards, vulnerabilities, and community strengths specific to Everett, with a focus on the city’s urban heat island effect. The assessment also produced a set of preliminary resilience actions to address extreme heat impacts.

Public engagement included two Adaptation Action Station workshops that combined education with interactive GIS mapping. Solutions developed through breakout group discussions were integrated into the City’s Community Resilience Building Planning Matrix.

Analysis identified major contributors to urban heat, including dense development patterns, land cover, and waste heat from buildings, mechanical systems, and vehicle activity. Heat risk was evaluated across Everett’s nine wards based on land use and surface characteristics. The Trust for Public Land identified major corridors as “very high risk” for heat exposure, with the remainder of the city classified as “moderate to high risk.”

The final report documents the sources of urban heat in Everett and outlines heat management strategies under consideration by the City, including permeable surface rebates, cooling and green corridors, tree planting, and green and white roofs.