THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN URBAN HEAT AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN EUGENE, OREGON

Abstract

Urban heat is the deadliest natural hazard facing the United States. Extreme heat kills more people in the U.S than all other natural hazards combined. Research shows that extreme heat and heat related illnesses disproportionately affect environmental justice communities. Environmental justice communities in this study are those who are any one of the following indicators: minority population (non-white), low income (less than twice the federal poverty level), low level of education (no high school diploma), very young (under 5), or elderly (over 64). Much research has been conducted on the urban heat island effect, however, there are no studies on the impact of the Urban Heat Island in Eugene, Oregon. This research uses geospatial analysis and a multivariate Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression to explore what land use factors are associated with the urban heat island in Eugene and which communities are most affected by urban heat. The regression analysis suggests that medium and high-density land cover are the major drivers of urban heat in Eugene. The very young (under 5 years old) and the elderly (over 64 years old) are most affected by urban heat in Eugene.