In July of 1995, Chicago experienced an intense heatwave, watching temperatures climb tas high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit while feeling like124 degrees. Over the five days this extreme heat lasted, 739 people died, most of them Black, low-income, and elderly. Though uncommon at the time for a state so far north to experience such temperatures, they have only increased in the decades since. Globally, 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded, and the US Environmental Protection Agency has warned heat waves are only going to worsen in the coming years.
Given this concern, heat should be a priority for policymakers, especially in city governments like Providence. Cities are already uniquely affected by rising temperatures because of the urban heat island effect—a phenomenon where highly urbanized areas experience more extreme temperatures than rural or outlying areas. For Providence, this effect is more prominent than in most cities, coming in at number 10 in the nation for urban heat island intensity.
One driver of this is Providence’s high levels of urbanization, resulting in an agglomeration of infrastructure, roads, buildings, and human activities that leaves little room for natural landscapes to absorb and cool down heat. Compared to cities like Buffalo, New York, for example—which has a higher population, similar environment, and similar size—83 percent of Providence is densely developed compared to Buffalo’s 46 percent.
Another often-overlooked factor is the artificial materials commonly used for infrastructure in Providence’s urban spaces, which absorb much more heat than their natural counterparts. In 2004, 37 percent of Providence was covered with impervious materials like asphalt, which prevent precipitation from absorbing into the ground. As such, Providence’s infrastructure does not allow for much heat transfer through energy absorption, exacerbating the heat island effect already compounded by a high concentration of heat-emitting people, cars, and businesses.
Plants and parks—urban features that can help cool temperatures—feature more heavily in wealthy neighborhoods like the East Side and College Hill, meaning the heat island effect will disproportionately affect low-income residents. In the past, projects focused on urban renewal and highway building bulldozed through lower-income and minority communities, displacing many residents into manufacturing areas like South Providence. These areas did not have the budget to invest in greenery and to this day, South Providence lags behind more affluent neighborhoods in its development of green spaces. Expensive to develop and maintain, cities might opt for more cost-effective—though less eco-conscious—alternatives. Providence’s lower-income neighbor Pawtucket, for instance, has recently come under fire for approving the renovation of Morley Field, into a heat-absorbing asphalt parking lot. In contrast, the much wealthier neighborhoods College Hill was created in 1636, before American industrialization and the proliferation of impervious materials. The uneven development of neighborhoods has evolved into uneven tree coverage and green space, creating disparate intensities of the urban heat island effect.
One proposed solution is to install more solar panels, which decrease temperatures by serving as a shade barrier to heat-absorbing roofs, even reflecting heat away from buildings. To that end, Providence has introduced federal tax credit incentives promoting solar panels, but their adoption has been mitigated because 59 percent of residents in Providence rent their homes. Solar panels are considered permanent property improvements, and tenants cannot install them without landlord permission—who must bear the overhead cost to no personal profit.
Existing incentives for landlords to approve these installations are the 30 percent commercial federal tax credit program—since rental properties are considered businesses—and a renewable energy growth program that offers landlords money based on the amount of solar energy created. However, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill ended the 30 percent commercial federal tax credit program and the payment from the renewable energy growth program might not even cover the initial and maintenance costs of solar panels in the long run. In addition, installing solar panels is likely to be more administrative work than landlords are willing to do. As such, unless incentives are increased to outweigh the costs for landlords or laws change to allow tenants to play some part in their installation, solar panels will not be a viable option for decreasing the urban heat island effect in Providence.
Other than covering impervious infrastructure with solar panels, Providence is also looking to make its surfaces more permeable. The city has recently proposed charging homeowners and businesses a fee based on the amount of impervious surfaces on their property to help fund green infrastructure. This proposal aims to slow down initiatives towards more parking lots and encourage residents to install permeable surface materials. Further, traditional tax-exempt institutions like hospitals or universities would also be subject to this fee because they take up much of Providence’s land. If Providence approves this new policy, it would incentivize development that is more conscious of its impervious infrastructure, thereby mitigating heat effects.
Looking forward, Providence should intensify collaboration with local organizations to identify ways to plant trees in neighborhoods with low tree coverage. Though the city is already working with Providence Neighborhood Planting Program—providing free trees around the Providence community—further cooperation is necessary with other organizations such as PVD Tree Plan, which specifically focuses on the city’s tree disparity problem.
The city should consider hosting regular workshops on the tree planting process, as well as info sessions on the urban heat island effect to raise environmental consciousness and garner volunteers. Residents, with the help of community organizations, can even dabble in urban gardening, which can take place anywhere: rooftops, sidewalks, patios, and more. By combining elements of nature and urbanism, the city can thus leverage spots of greenery to cool down the surrounding area.
As temperatures keep rising, Providence will have to contend with intensifying heat waves and increasing rates of heat-related death and morbidity. To mitigate these effects, Providence must pass policies promoting permeable infrastructure materials and limit projects that eliminate natural landscapes. It must also focus on its connection to the community, incentivizing residents to be more environmentally conscious while collaborating with local organizations to improve tree coverage. The proposed asphalt development of Morley Field in Pawtucket is an early warning of what could come in Providence, and if the city does not reduce its urban heat island effect, it is going to become too hot to handle.