North Carolina Urban Mapping Project Aims To Identify Heat Islands, Address Racial Inequities

The cities of Raleigh and Durham are part of a national heat mapping program sponsored by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

The project uses heat sensors to collect data that measures the heat stress index in urban communities. The data will also be used to design programs and policies to plant more trees and inform climate action plans, particularly in low-income communities of color.

WUNC's Celeste Gracia reports.