#  The Community Data Health Initiative 

 



#  The Community Data Health Initiative 

 

 

       ![](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/2025-06/53378792187_942d6b31cd_o.jpg?itok=UUGk0BYW) 

 

 



 

 



 

   ![CDHI logo](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-10/CDHI%20logo%202_0.png?itok=w6thV7Ff) 

 

The Community Data Health Initiative (CDHI) serves to expand cities' capacity to take on environmental challenges that directly affect people’s health—starting with air pollution and extreme heat. We partner with mayors and city staff to turn local data, community insights, and cross-sector partnerships into targeted solutions in neighborhoods facing the greatest environmental health risks.

CDHI launched in 2022 and is generously supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Kresge Foundation. We function as a collaboration between the Data-Smart City Solutions program at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the African American Mayors Association, and Meharry Medical College.



 

##  Spotlight Resources for Mayors & Chiefs of Staff 

See our spotlight resources for mayors, capturing core strategies and proven best practices from three years of collaboration with cities nationwide. These guides provide a clear, evidence-informed starting point for mayoral leadership to protect communities from air pollution, extreme heat, and lead exposure with practical actions cities can take today.



 

 



 [ Addressing Air Pollution in Your Cities: A Starter Guide for Mayors arrow\_circle\_right ](/addressing-air-pollution-your-cities) [ The Heat Action Hub arrow\_circle\_right ](/heat-action-hub) [ Lead Innovation Hub: Mayors' Roadmap arrow\_circle\_right ](https://www.leadinnovationhub.org/mayors/) 

 

 

 

 

##  Our Work With Cities 

We work alongside city leaders who are ready to take meaningful action on environmental health. Whether you’re seeking deep, hands-on partnership, peer exchange with other leading cities, or practical tools you can use right away, CDHI offers multiple pathways for engagement.

 

 



### Pilot Collaborations 

 

We partner with a select group of cities on hands-on projects that build local capacity to tackle air pollution and extreme heat. Pilot cities receive:

- Expert advising and technical support
- A dedicated data fellow from Meharry Medical College
- Tools for community engagement
- Support with cross-department coordination
- Direct engagement with mayors and senior leaders

Our current pilot cities include Washington, D.C.; Detroit, MI; and Baltimore, MD.



 



      ![](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_1_1__480x480/public/2025-05/53379716781_3746c3c3cc_o.jpg?itok=A-J92l_E) 

 

 

  

 



### National Learning Cohorts 

 

Our peer learning cohorts convene cross-departmental teams from leading cities working to address air quality and extreme heat. These executive-style groups create a trusted forum for cities to collaborate on local strategies, strengthen data-informed decision-making, and advance practical solutions to environmental health challenges.

Through the cohorts, cities:

- Learn from and problem-solve with peer cities facing similar challenges
- Share lessons and refine strategies for targeting high-impact interventions
- Strengthen how they use data to set priorities, weigh tradeoffs, and engage communities
- Gain practical insights, funding awareness, and tested approaches that can be applied to local policies and programs

Interested in joining a cohort? Email [kate\_murphy@hks.harvard.edu.](mailto:nishakumar@hks.harvard.edu)



 



      ![A large group of people watching a presentation at the front of a conference](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_1_1__480x480/public/2025-05/53380030974_5caa365935_o.jpg?itok=o8BztKM0) 

 

 

  

 



### Resources for All Cities 

 

Even if you’re not in a pilot or cohort, you can still learn from our work. We regularly publish tools, templates, case studies, and lessons learned from cities across the country. Explore our resources below by topic to find what’s most useful for your team.



 



      ![An Asian man and White woman at front of meeting presenting a powerpoint](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_1_1__480x480/public/2025-05/BCC_4246.JPG?itok=yqBRRuf7) 

 

 

  

 



 

 

 

##  Resources and Lessons Learned 

We’ve hosted workshops, expert sessions, and peer convenings to support cities in building heat resilience. Here’s what we’ve learned, in the areas of extreme heat and air pollution. For cities looking to take action, [explore our Heat Action Hub](/heat-action-hub "Heat Action Hub").

 

 





###    Urban Heat  expand\_more  

 

- [Addressing Extreme Heat in Your Cities: A Started Guide for Mayors](/addressing-extreme-heat-your-cities "Addressing Extreme Heat in Your Cities"): This mayoral memo is a foundational resource for senior city leaders, breaking down the dangers and impacts of extreme heat, proven methods for addressing the problem, and a six-step process for beginning to combat extreme urban heat.
- [Three Essential Lessons for Cities Facing Extreme Heat](/three-essential-lessons-urban-heat-resiliency-workshop-cities-facing-extreme-heat): Key takeaways from CDHI’s Urban Heat Resiliency Design Workshop on how cities can move from identifying risk to taking action.
- [Mapping a Path to Resilience in Los Angeles](/mapping-path-resilience-los-angeles): In this interview, Marta Segura, LA’s first Chief Heat Officer, shares how she's aligning agencies, budgets, and data to protect residents from rising temperatures. You can access the full interview here: [Climate, Equity, and Resilience with Chief Heat Officer Marta Segura](/climate-equity-and-resilience-chief-heat-officer-marta-segura).
- [The Role of Chief Heat Officers: Jane Gilbert](/role-chief-heat-officers-jane-gilbert#:~:text=As%20Chief%20Heat%20Officer,%20Gilbert,identify%20policy%20and%20procedural%20changes.): Jane Gilbert, one of the world’s first Chief Heat Officers, explains how her team is embedding heat into infrastructure planning and resilience investments.
- [Building Extreme Heat Resilience: Tucson Million Trees](/building-extreme-heat-resilience-tucson-million-trees): Tucson’s Chief Resilience Officer, Fátima Luna, shares how the city is mapping tree equity, planting strategically, and connecting heat mitigation to climate and health goals.



 

 

 



###    Air Quality  expand\_more  

 

- [A Local Approach to Improving Urban Air Quality](/local-approach-improving-urban-air-quality): In this episode, host Stephen Goldsmith interviews Michael Ogletree, division director of Air Pollution Control for the state of Colorado, who shares how low-cost sensors and community partnerships helped reduce asthma rates in schools.
- [Technology, Analytics Key to Improving Urban Air Quality](/technology-analytics-key-improving-urban-air-quality): This article highlights the key technologies and data tools cities can use to monitor localized air pollution and take targeted action—great for teams building out new capabilities or scaling existing ones.
- [Making the invisible visible: A guide for mapping hyperlocal air pollution to drive clean air action](https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/content/making-the-invisible-visible.pdf): This EDF guide walks cities through how to plan, fund, and implement a neighborhood-level air monitoring network. Plus, how to turn that data into policies that improve health.
- [Air Tracker](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__globalcleanair.org_air-2Dtracker_&d=DwMFAg&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=Dfs_liT_kfzYeedSue96pXpB_e-crpIkhqQ6FPjHt8s&m=a1wbGpi1tZdj30GbKvWUAKG6FeXq1WpuGUfCnPzV7EHqWxRsLfOt7IaF8FyxQHDG&s=10D-9b6l-3lvT7UvU5TrZGYLPJANRNKseARZXSQKthY&e=) – A digital platform that helps cities track the movement of air pollution in real time using weather and modeling data. Currently in use across several U.S. cities, with more being added soon.
- [The Breathe London Blueprint Guide](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__globalcleanair.org_blueprint_&d=DwMFAg&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=Dfs_liT_kfzYeedSue96pXpB_e-crpIkhqQ6FPjHt8s&m=a1wbGpi1tZdj30GbKvWUAKG6FeXq1WpuGUfCnPzV7EHqWxRsLfOt7IaF8FyxQHDG&s=yLUqG-OOv6PqmyHm86OiSLJQZwuXZCxKTLSq0z33ehU&e=) - A guide for cities interested in launching hyperlocal monitoring systems, drawing lessons from London’s cutting-edge work on clean air zones and traffic-related pollution. [This blog post summarizes more recent research in London](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__globalcleanair.org_academic_mobile-2Dmonitoring-2Dreveals-2Dcongestion-2Deffect-2Dfor-2Dvehicle-2Demissions-2Din-2Dlondon_&d=DwMFAg&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=Dfs_liT_kfzYeedSue96pXpB_e-crpIkhqQ6FPjHt8s&m=a1wbGpi1tZdj30GbKvWUAKG6FeXq1WpuGUfCnPzV7EHqWxRsLfOt7IaF8FyxQHDG&s=KTdC-5po7PdDG93erNwMqJ5XNcdd8ORfcqdKHuBiUow&e=) on the effect of congestion on air pollution levels within London’s ULEZ.



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

##  Related Articles 

Read our new articles and research related to CDHI's environmental and public health work.

 

 



  [### Low-Tech Cooling Strategies for Extreme Heat

 ](/low-tech-cooling) June 15, 2026 

 

   ![Crowd in stadium on a hot day](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-06/Untitled%20design%20%2812%29.png?itok=AhJwHuA1) 

 



 

 

   [### The Value of Concentrating Neighborhood Investment

 ](/atlanta-neighborhood-investment) June 01, 2026 

 

   ![Empty storefronts in Lakeville, Atlanta](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-06/AdobeStock_588887170_Editorial_Use_Only.jpg?itok=3ew-VtOJ) 

 



 

 

   [### Milwaukee's Data-Driven Strategy to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning

 ](/milwaukee-data-driven-lead-pipes) May 28, 2026 

 

   ![Water main lines in a ground trench for repair](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/AdobeStock_251538232.jpg?itok=V8zVbtY-) 

 



 

 

   [### How Seattle Built a Benefits Portal to Share Benefits Widely

 ](/seattle-benefits-portal) May 06, 2026 

 

   ![Seattle city skyline](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/datasmart/files/seattle1.jpg?itok=oYDhajag) 

 



 

 

   [### How AI Helps Cities Manage Disaster Response Data

 ](/ai-disaster-response-data) April 28, 2026 

 

   ![Drone image of a coastline with colorful dots showing types of damage, with the majority marked as "destroyed"](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-04/Hurricane%20damage%20Manzini.png?itok=LhQYGwOG) 

 



 

 

   [### Bringing Technology to Bear on Homelessness

 ](/tech-homelessness) April 24, 2026 

 

   ![City homeless encampment](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/datasmart/files/levi-meir-clancy-szvuktxr0jo-unsplash.jpg?itok=lAsx87i4) 

 



 

 

   [### How Phoenix Reduced Extreme Heat Mortality

 ](/phoenix-reduced-heat-mortality) April 14, 2026 

 

   ![City of Phoenix skyline ](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-04/AdobeStock_536328162.jpg?itok=ZjAUJyvh) 

 



 

 

   [### Crisis Leadership and Cross-Agency Collaboration: Milwaukee’s Rapid Response to a Lead Emergency

 ](/crisis-leadership-collaboration-milwaukee-lead) April 09, 2026 

 

   ![Tap reading "danger, lead hazard" in foreground with lead removal experts in background](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-04/AdobeStock_116416994.jpg?itok=bG42LExR) 

 



 

 

   [### Supporting Childhood Opportunity Starts With Environmental Justice

 ](/childhood-opportunity-environmental-justice) April 08, 2026 

 

   ![Podcast microphone against a blank background](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/datasmart/files/podcast_microphone.jpg?itok=4DFCjXf2) 

 



 

 

   [### A Framework for Using AI-Enabled Infrastructure Monitoring as a Public Health Intervention

 ](/ai-infra-public-health) March 13, 2026 

 

   ![Large crack in sidewalk with raised, jagged edge](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-03/sean-foster-2WKlvDkkuL0-unsplash.jpg?itok=k0KegPTn) 

 



 

 

   [### A Catalog of Civic Data Use Cases

 ](/how-can-data-and-analytics-be-used-to-enhance-city-operations-723) January 27, 2026 

 

   ![Aerial photo of a city at night lit up from space](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/datasmart/files/aerialcitylarge.jpeg?itok=-YKqwBa1) 

 



 

 

   [### Maximizing Local Tools for Cleaner, Healthier Air

 ](/local-tools-healthy-air) December 23, 2025 

 

   ![The Air Quality Cohort group at conference around a table](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-12/CDHI%20F25%204%20copy.jpg?itok=vVT5SCrq) 

 



 

 

  

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