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Abstract
Heat and extreme heat events are the deadliest weather-related hazards in the United States, and kill more than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods. Heat vulnerability is a field of study in urban climatology focused on the impacts of heat on human health and well-being. Studies in this field have shown that social and environmental factors play a role in determining vulnerability and are related to urbanization. Land-use planning is responsible for decisions that regulate and ultimately alter the urban form and land use; therefore, it is in a position to assimilate findings from heat vulnerability studies to reduce risks human life and well-being. Yet, while there are clear intersections between urban climatology and land-use planning, studies have indicated limited interactions between both disciplines and suggest that struggles are related to knowledge gaps.Using Chatham County, Georgia, in the United States, as a case study, this dissertation uses an integrative research approach to explore the challenges of applying urban climatology in land-use planning. It uses co-production lenses and geodesign as additional theoretical frameworks that examine the use of heat vulnerability studies in the development of a heat response plan. This study works in collaboration with planners to understand the data needed to support decision-making. It explores the production and application of knowledge to better understand if struggles to the application of urban climatology in land-use planning are linked to methodological and practice. Findings from this dissertation indicate that Chatham County has seen land surface heating over a 20-year period, and that this is further linked to specific land cover changes, specifically from tree cover to high density urbanization. It also finds that a systemic approach allowed planners to confidently use heat vulnerability data, as it supported the use of experiential knowledge to contextualize information. Finally, this research shows that planners rely on thought processes that seek to contextualize and visualize information as a source of inspiration and in support of a vision for the future. Furthermore, information is used to ensure the legitimacy of actions and to reduce the risk of failure. It is also used to create guidelines and performance standards that support and justify action. This dissertation concludes that the production and application of urban climate data in land-use planning can be established through collaboration, and as a co-produced process. It also proposes the need for planning strategies that embrace revision and explore a cyclical approach to knowledge transference, which would foster the incorporation of new knowledge as it is produced.