Evan Klansnic was invited by his research advisor, Dr. Ponette-Gonzalez, to guest lecture in her graduate-level Urban Ecology course (BIOL 5440) at the University of Utah. He introduced students to the structure and purpose of heat action plans based on CDC guidance, defining what these plans are, why they exist, and the essential components they rely on. He also shared different interpretations of air quality action plans from King County, Salt Lake City, and San Diego County to show how city plans can widely differ in intent and structure.
Following this content, Dr. Ponette-Gonzalez led a class discussion that invited students act in the role of a city official to develop “interventions” to manage extreme heat and poor air quality. Evan contributed to this discussion by sharing current and prior research he is a part of, including an investigation of park strip surface materials as a potential heat-mitigation intervention and an evaluation of how Western U.S. cities use targeted alerts, behavioral guidance, and urban greening within their heat and air quality actions plans and online public information.
NORTHWARD 