Summer is just around the corner and cities across the Lehigh Valley are expecting to feel the heat. In a course in the Department of Art, Architecture, and Design and in collaboration with the Small Cities Lab (SCL) students conduct research projects focused on urban heat mitigation and climate resilience in Allentown. 

Led by Lauren Scott, SCL researcher and scholar, the research in the first half of the semester was divided into three main groups: one focusing on identifying vulnerable populations and public education, another on Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping to identify demographic vulnerabilities, and the third on designing scalable and adaptable systems for urban environments. The second half of the course focused on developing designs for simple, deployable interventions. Some were recently submitted to the Love Your Block grant program and presented at a community meeting.

Read the full story from AAD News.