The Bay Area made it through another weekend of hot temperatures.
But some neighborhoods of the Bay were definitely hotter than most, which, as it turns out, isn’t all that unusual.
Laura Feinstein, Sustainability and Resilience Policy Director at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, discussed why this happens and what a "shade disparity" is Monday morning with KCBS Radio’s Jeff Bell and Holly Quan.
Shade disparity is simple, said Feinstein. "It’s based primarily on how many trees a neighborhood has."
Socioeconomic status and race are major determining factors in how shady a neighborhood is.
"If you look at whiter, wealthier neighborhoods, they tend to have more trees: in people’s yards and planted as street trees, and also more public parks," said Feinstein.
"You can just go a few blocks away to a neighborhood that is more heavily people of color and is lower-income, you’ll see far fewer trees," she said.
Until recently, this issue has flown under the radar, said Feinstein. "People started to recognize how much racism and classism is built into the structure of cities," she said. "People are starting to talk about how to correct it."
Not much progress has been made yet. Trees also take decades to grow, she said. It takes time and money to foster the growth of new trees, which cities need to commit to, as well provide better support and incentive for residents of these neighborhoods to receive more trees.
Shade can be lifesaving too. On a hot day, having that tree coverage can mean a difference from 8 to 13 degrees, said Feinstein.
Related
