South LA / Midcity

Here's the deal

Scroll through the slides below to learn about climate risks

The South LA/Midcity climate zone faces unique climate threats, but there are many ways to address them.

The area encompasses most of Crenshaw Boulevard and touches on the 10 and 105 freeway. While closer to the coast than some of its more inland counterparts, the South LA/Midcity climate zone is still subject to periods of extreme heat, the urban heat island effect, air pollution, and extreme precipitation and drought. There are a lot of ways to adapt our neighborhoods to better deal with these effects, and ways to plan our cities more sustainably to avoid future impact. We’ll explore some solutions and concepts that can be tailored at the neighborhood level in these slides.

It gets hot in South LA/Midcity...and it’s going to get hotter.

South LA/Midcity sees an average of 5 days of extreme heat (days above 93°F) throughout a given year. That number is projected to increase to 8 days sometime between 2041-2060 if we don’t lower greenhouse gas emissions. The end of the century is even more concerning, where extreme heat days are expected to more than triple to 18 by 2070-2099. Still, those numbers can be reduced to 6 days of extreme heat per year for mid-century and 8 days per year for end of century projections if aggressive steps are taken now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The urban heat island effect can raise temperatures up to 22°F, and South LA/Midcity is no exception.

Urban heat islands typically push temperatures up 1.8-5.4°F during the day and as much as 22°F in the evening. Overall electricity demand and peak demand will continue to grow as more people stay inside in these hot, condensed areas. Higher energy demand will strain electrical grids, and lead to rolling blackouts. Extreme heat kills more people in the US than any other natural disaster. For example, increased heat increases the chances of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, as high temperatures continue on into the night, a time period during which the body needs to rest and recover.

Heat increases pollutants and fuels wildfires that dramatically worsen the air quality in South LA/Midcity.

The recent wildfires in Southern California, brought air quality to extremely dangerous levels, making it unsafe to be outside. Additionally, heat increases the formation of ozone (smog) and hot roads cause more wear-and-tear on tires, which put more harmful particulate matter in the air. The increase in ozone and other pollutants in the air will cause health problems to the residents there, such as chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and airway inflammation. In addition, these poor air quality conditions will be especially dangerous for those with asthma and allergies or those subject to cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

South LA/Midcity will have to deal with increasing periods of extreme precipitation and drought.

As wildfires have become more reoccurring in Southern California, fires threaten to get closer to the North Valley and cause more damage. If nothing is done to lower emissions, an average of 8.8 hectares are projected to burn per year between 2035-2064 in this area. The area is at risk of losing up to 23.0 hectares in one year as a projected worst-case scenario. Between 2070-2099, an average of 6.5 hectares are projected to be burned per year with the projected worst-case scenario being 19.0 hectares burned overall.

Let's Fix it

We can beat the heat

With cool pavement and cool roofs installed in the region, we can reflect 20-60% of solar energy back into space, thereby cooling the area. Trees and shade cover can also bring surface temperatures down by up to 40 degrees. Tools like Treeviewer show how much tree coverage South LA/Mid-City has, as well as the potential for new trees. Currently, parts of South LA/Mid-City have up to 11% less tree coverage than the county average, showing that there is a lot of potential for new trees to cool the area and advance equity. By taking these steps, South LA/Mid-City will be better prepared for extreme heat days.

Clean Air is Possible

Through urban greening, air quality monitoring, and reducing pollution, South LA/Mid-City can transform its air quality. Tree canopy and ground-level vegetation absorb and disperse pollutants, and they can reduce heat at the same time. An air quality monitoring plan will keep track of the amount of pollutants in the region and allow people to take precautions like using pollution masks or avoiding outdoor activities. Lastly, by improving the accessibility of active and public transportation, we can address both air quality issues but also heat issues. For example, bus shelters can reduce heat and encourage bus ridership, thus addressing heat and air quality issues at the same time. Overall, these methods can lower the amount of cars and the pollutants produced from them, thereby improving air quality in South LA/Mid-City.

Let’s capture and conserve water

We can improve storm-water capture basins and systems in the San Fernando Valley, aggressively use unused pieces of land in Los Angeles for storm-water capture, and modify current dam and flood control basins to improve water conservation. With these methods, South LA/Mid-City will be able to capture water better during periods of extreme precipitation and can save it for periods of drought.