Wu releases climate plan to address extreme heat in Boston

Boston mayor Michelle Wu released a plan Friday timed with Earth Day to address extreme heat cause by climate change in disadvantaged city neighborhoods.

The Heat Resilience Solutions for Boston plan presents a number of strategies that Wu says will help build a “more just, equitable, and resilient Boston."

The plan focuses on five so-called environmental justice communities that experience greater burdens as temperatures rise: Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Mattapan, and Roxbury.

It also includes citywide strategies that Wu says her administration will pursue, such as distributing “pop-up cooling kits” that include a hose, misters, and a tent to community organizations that have public events this summer.

Wu said her administration will also launch a design challenge for heat resilient “cool” bus stops and educate property owners on the benefits of installing so-called cool roofs that increase energy efficiency.

And a new Boston Extreme Temperatures Response Task Force will help coordinate the city's efforts as it's faced more hot days and nights over the last decade than any decade in the previous 50 years, Wu said.

The heat plan is a part of Climate Ready Boston, the city’s ongoing efforts to prepare for sea level rise, coastal storms, extreme precipitation, extreme heat and other climate change impacts.