Keeping Weymouth Cool

KEEPING WEYMOUTH COOL

A HEAT ISLAND MITIGATION PLAN FOR A COASTAL TOWN Prepared for the Weymouth Department of Planning and Community Development by Ben Silverstone, Lion Waxman and Isabella Yeager The Conway School — Winter 2024

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Weymouth, Massachusetts, is a coastal town twelve miles southeast of Boston, with a population of 58,000. The town is experiencing the growing pains of a village-oriented community within commuting distance of a sprawling metropolis. Several municipal departments, along with  many town residents have raised concerns that development may be leading to declining water and air quality and the formation of urban heat islands, which pose significant public health hazards in the face of climate change. This report analyzes how urban land cover contributes to the formation of urban heat islands in Weymouth and explores opportunities to reduce such  effects, improving quality of life for residents while also helping to mitigate climate change.

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Keeping Weymouth Cool

Published on May 20, 2024

The Conway School

By Ben Silverstone, Lion Waxman and Isabella Yeager. Weymouth, Massachusetts, is a coastal town twelve miles southeast of Boston, with a population of 58,000. The town is experiencing the growing pains of a village-oriented community within commuting distance of a sprawling metropolis. Several municipal departments, along with many town residents have raised concerns that development may be leading to declining water and air quality and the formation of urban heat islands, which pose significant public health hazards in the face of climate change. This report analyzes how urban land cover contributes to the formation of urban heat islands in Weymouth and explores opportunities to reduce such effects, improving quality of life for residents while also helping to mitigate climate change.