Urban Heat Islands Conference

Posted by on October 15, 2004

“Cooler Minds (and Communities) will Prevail: Combating Philadelphia’s Urban Heat Island Effect” being held at PECO Energy “Energy Hall” (THIS IS A VENUE CHANGE FROM ORIGINAL NOTICE) in Philadelphia on October 22nd, 2004

“Registered UHI Community Workshop Participants can earn up to 5 AIA CES (HSW) LUs.”

Dear Colleague:

I am happy to invite you to participate in the upcoming workshop “Cooler Minds (and Communities) will Prevail: Combating Philadelphia’s Urban Heat Island Effect” being held in Energy Hall at PECO Energy on October 22nd, 2004. This workshop is one of three taking place around the country this fall. This event is being hosted by the City of Philadelphia, in cooperation with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, with the generous support of the US EPA’s Heat Island Reduction Initiative.

Heat islands are the result of the dark colored infrastructure that dominate urban landscapes, absorbing solar radiation, and causing urban air temperatures to exceed those in nearby rural areas by as much as 10?F. Mitigation strategies, such as reflective and vegetative roofs, cool paving, and increased vegetation, help to cool the urban area while also addressing energy consumption, stormwater runoff and heat related health risks.

Presentations at the Workshop will address the causes of urban heat islands, mitigation options, and highlight actions already being undertaken in the region. Afternoon sessions will provide an opportunity for participants to meet with experts in the field to discuss the activities organizations are undertaking, identify opportunities at the local, regional, and state levels, and help shape the debate on this important environmental topic.

Speakers will include Julie Rosenburg, from the EPA’s State and Local Capacity Building Branch, Kathy Orr, KYW’s Emmy Winning Meteorologist, and many other local and national experts in the field. I hope you will be able to join us for this exciting event. More information and online registration is available at http://hotcities.org/workshops.

Questions should be directed to Ryan Bell of ICLEI at 510.540.8843, rbell@iclei.org, or Michelle Knapik of the Municipal Energy Office at 215.686.4472, michelle.knapik@phila.gov.

We look forward to seeing you there.