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📅 Today's Story: A Texas A&M University study finds that vacant, paved, or abandoned lots in Houston can raise nearby surface temperatures by as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit—putting residents, commuters, and infrastructure at risk.
ENVIRONMENT
Vacant Lots & Abandoned Buildings Heat Up Houston |
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Heat maps of a commercial neighborhood with paved lots and a residential neighborhood with trees and green space (Texas A&M University)
📰 What Happened: Researchers at Texas A&M analyzed surface temperatures across Houston and found a strong correlation between heat and vacant or abandoned urban land. While green lots help reduce surrounding temperatures, concrete or asphalt lots and derelict buildings worsen heat island effects.
🔍 A Closer Look: With limited shade or tree canopy, people walking, biking, or waiting for transit in Houston face elevated risks of heat-related illness. Notably, Houston has around 45,000 acres of vacant land and 10,000 acres of abandoned buildings. Rising temperatures also strain power grids as households spend more on cooling, adding to energy burdens.
🧠 Why It Matters: As one of the nation’s hottest cities, Houston’s land use policies are now in the spotlight. Green infrastructure—including trees, parks, and permeable surfaces—is crucial for urban cooling. For city planners, developers, and civic leaders, this could be an opportunity to turn disused land into climate-resilient assets.
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