Harlem Heat Project, New York City

The Harlem Heat Project is a community-based initiative that began in New York City in the summer of 2016. It combines crowd-sourcing, data reporting, and narrative journalism to tell the story or urban heat islands in New York City. Non-profit journalism and community-based organizations came together to provide low-cost heat sensors to homeowners in “heat-vulnerable” areas of Harlem in New York City. The data was used to tell the story of disproportionate risks to extreme heat for lower-income and communities of color as a result of increasing temperatures from climate change. The project’s partners include local news stations, WNYC and WHCR, as well as community organizations, such as AdaptNY, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and iSeeChange.