Sense SB Extreme Heat

Sense SB: Extreme Heat is an environmental sensing and planning project that will collect real-time temperature data, assess the spatial distribution of heat exposure, and model the relationships between temperature intensity, urban form, tree canopy, and public health vulnerability.

Project Background

In South Bend, Indiana, rising temperatures and impervious surface coverage have intensified localized “urban heat island effect,” where neighborhoods absorb and retain more warmth due to limited vegetation and dense development. This results in higher energy burdens, infrastructure stress, and increased health risks, particularly in the aging population.

Why Measure Extreme Heat?

Gathering this baseline data is informative for planning South Bend's future. Research has found there are benefits to addressing hot spots and greening our urban spaces, for example, "We find that having 10 more trees in a city block, on average, improves health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $10,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $10,000 higher median income or being 7 years younger. We also find that having 11 more trees in a city block, on average, decreases cardio-metabolic conditions in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $20,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $20,000 higher median income or being 1.4 years younger," (Kardan et al. 2015).

Kardan O, Gozdyra P, Misic B, et al. Neighborhood greenspace and health in a large urban center. Sci Rep. 2015;5:11610. Published 2015 Jul 9. doi:10.1038/srep11610