By Sacramento City Epress<\/p>\n
Sacramento City and County staff recently worked with experts from the Urban Land Institute in a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) to explore practical ways to put the\u00a0City\u2019s heat\u2011reduction strategies<\/a>\u00a0into action as part of its\u00a0Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP)<\/a>.<\/p>\n This effort meets goals set in the City\u2019s CAAP by looking into ways to create built environments, such as structures and trees, that reduce exposure to extreme heat and mitigate areas with more exposed concrete and asphalt which become significantly hotter and absorb heat.<\/p>\n \u201cExtreme heat is one of the most immediate climate risks facing our community,\u201d said Bruce Monighan, Urban Design Manager with the Community Development Department. \u201cThe panel helped us identify practical ways to\u00a0operationalize our strong policy direction.\u201d<\/p>\n The TAP brought together a multidisciplinary panel of experts in land use, urban design, development, landscape architecture, and climate resilience to provide strategic recommendations focused specifically on heat mitigation and adaptation.<\/p>\n Over several days, panelists met with City staff, stakeholders, and community partners to better understand local conditions, vulnerable areas, and current regulatory tools.<\/p>\n The\u00a0TAP process\u00a0focused on how the City\u00a0and County\u00a0can:<\/p>\n Expand and strategically prioritize urban tree canopy in areas with high heat exposure and limited shade.<\/p>\n Incorporate\u00a0building features, such as\u00a0lighter colors and building materials that\u00a0reduce heat impacts\u00a0into development standards.<\/p>\n Increase shaded pedestrian corridors, transit stops, and public spaces to reduce heat exposure.<\/p>\n Integrate heat resilience criteria into zoning\u00a0code and design guidelines updates.<\/p>\n The TAP process included background briefings, careholder interviews, a tour of heat impacted areas of the City and County, and facilitated working sessions to identify both policy changes and near-term implementation opportunities. The panel concluded with a public\u00a0presentation<\/a>\u00a0outlining targeted, actionable recommendations.<\/p>\n Key themes from the panel included prioritizing investments in neighborhoods with the highest heat burden, embedding shade and cooling requirements into development regulations, and\u00a0working toward an ongoing\u00a0partnership between the City and County to align priorities and funding for implementation.<\/p>\n The final TAP report was published in January 2026 and is available for review\u00a0on the\u00a0project webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n Staff will present the TAP\u2019s findings to the\u00a0Planning\u00a0and Design Commission on March 12<\/a>.<\/p>\n