![Very bright hot yellow sun](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/datasmart/files/james-day-5ywf-5hyzcw-unsplash.jpg?itok=SSD-CGp-) # Wicked Hot Mapping: Citizen Science in Boston and Beyond Innovative, citizen science mapping projects inform targeted, data-driven strategies to protect vulnerable communities from extreme heat. August 14, 2025 April Hopcroft On a blazing-hot day in July 2019, dozens of volunteer citizen scientists piled into their cars and drove along pre-assigned routes looping through Cambridge, Boston, and Brookline with a device on a white stick protruding from their cars. Their task? To collect temperature and humidity data using a special GPS thermometer in order to understand the impacts of urban heat from a microclimate perspective. While leaders in Boston have invested heavily in climate resilience, much of the work has historically focused on storms, flooding, and sea level rise with less attention devoted to heat. However, due to the[ urban heat island](https://sor.epa.gov/sor_internet/registry/termreg/searchandretrieve/glossariesandkeywordlists/search.do;jsessionid=Bvpr-ulzxgjwbeqUzsm41EvsmoCdPQiFMen7vH8VkI1Ikf_6Drge!500592598?details=&vocabName=Heat%20Island%20Effect%20Glossary&filterTerm=urban%20heat%20island%20effect&checkedAcronym=false&checkedTerm=false&hasDefinitions=false&filterTerm=urban%20heat%20island%20effect&filterMatchCriteria=Contains) effect, pavement and buildings tend to retain heat and cause urban air temperatures to be considerably warmer than rural areas. And as a city in the northeastern US, buildings in Boston were largely built to retain heat in the winter, not to keep residents cool in the summer. Indeed, the[ 2016 Climate Ready Boston Report](https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2023/03/2016_climate_ready_boston_executive_summary_1.pdf) identified extreme heat as one of the top three hazards facing the city. “In Massachusetts there's an increasing understanding that while flooding is a vulnerability everybody knew was coming, heat is really important to take on. Not only because of the uncertain nature of exactly what we're going to face, but also because of the old building stock… the electrical grid, and the uncertain cascading impacts of electrification for mitigation planning,” said David Sittenfeld, director of the Center for the Environment at the Museum of Science in Boston. Now, over five years later, Data-Smart followed up with key collaborators at the Museum of Science and the city of Boston to understand how this data has been used to build urban heat resilience. This article examines data-driven approaches to mapping urban heat hyper-locally and developing targeted interventions to support communities most affected by warming temperatures. ## Innovative Heat Mapping Methodologies In a recent presentation at the [Community Data Health Initiative](/about-community-data-health-initiative "The Community Data Health Initiative") (CDHI)’s Heat Convening at the Harvard Kennedy School, Sittenfeld described two different urban heat mapping initiatives in Greater Boston. Both were funded by a national campaign led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Climate Program Office that included more than 60 other cities across the country. The first project, described in the introduction and dubbed [Wicked Hot Boston](https://www.mos.org/case-study/wicked-hot-boston), took place in July 2019 in Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline. ![Heat map of Boston area ](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/2025-08/Heat%20Mapping%202019%20%28Modeled%20Air%20Temperature%29%20MoS.png) Modeled Air Temperature Map: modeled ambient air temperature at 3pm in the Boston area. Maps created by researchers at the Museum of Science, Boston and the Helmuth Lab at Northeastern University.The second project, [Wicked Hot Mystic](https://www.mos.org/case-study/wicked-hot-mystic), applied the same citizen science approach to mapping heat hyper-locally throughout the[ Mystic River Watershed](https://mysticriver.org/maps), a 76 square mile area that serves 21 communities in Metro Boston. The project aimed to examine vulnerabilities and opportunities for resilience planning across a range of land uses in a densely populated watershed near a major city. Wicked Hot Mystic was supported by a[ Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP)](https://www.mass.gov/municipal-vulnerability-preparedness-mvp-program) grant program from the state of Massachusetts. While heat mapping has historically relied on satellite data to map surface temperature, this innovative approach offers a more human-centered examination into urban heat, said Sittenfeld, a collaborator on this project. The Museum of Science served as a key partner as part of its emphasis on what Sittenfeld calls “science to civics” projects. “This \[approach\] gets you a model of air temperature about six feet off the ground, so kind of people height in terms of what we're experiencing,” Sittenfeld said. “In many cases, it reinforced what people already knew from Landsat \[land surface\] data or from airplanes. But it's different, because this really gives you a sense of what people are feeling. It also includes humidity, so it gives you a sense of the real feel in different places.” ## Data-Based Interventions This summer marks the sixth summer since the heat mapping projects in Boston yielded high quality maps of urban heat at a human level. Data-Smart spoke to Zoe Davis, Boston’s senior climate resilience project manager, to understand what has been done with this data. Broadly, Davis discussed how the city balanced intentional feedback in developing its[ Heat Plan](https://www.boston.gov/departments/environment/preparing-heat) with a desire to be proactive about direct service provision. To ensure vulnerable residents had access to air conditioning, the city distributed 400 air conditioning units and 700 box fans in 2021. The city worked with Boston Medical Center and the Garrison-Trotter Neighborhood Association to identify people in greatest need, such as older adults and those living with health conditions that are exacerbated by extreme heat; these individuals were prioritized for free AC distribution. The AC distribution program ran for three years and included collaborations with a range of partners, including the[ Breathe Easy At Home](https://www.boston.gov/departments/public-health-commission/breathe-easy-home) program at Boston Public Health Commission. In the longer term, Davis also highlighted Boston’s outdoor Cool Spaces Program, which provides shade, misting tents, and seating with free WiFi at libraries across the city. In addition to offering an escape from the heat, the city paired these cooling sites with resources, such as a free lunch program for youth and office hours for residents to receive assistance for apartment rental costs. In this way, outdoor cooling spaces offered both a relief from the heat and a chance to access social services, all in one place. The initial pilot began at just three libraries in 2021, but the program has since expanded, with a total of 11 locations expected this summer. These range from [East Boston to Roxbury to Mattapan](https://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/45b1d52a-e762-42a4-b81d-d52072bfda61), neighborhoods that are traditionally racially and ethnically diverse and which have lower median household incomes compared to the Boston average. Additionally, in summer 2024, the city launched a[ green roofs program](https://www.boston.gov/departments/climate-resilience/bus-shelter-green-roofs) at 30 bus shelters along route 28, which runs from Mattapan to Ruggles Station. As the program enters its second summer, Davis said that while it’s a smaller-scale pilot, the green roofs are thriving and help elevate the importance of public shade structures. ![Map of Boston area with shaded bus stops highlighted](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/2025-08/Screenshot%202025-08-14%20102515.png) “It's been successful so far, we got a lot of great feedback from the public. The long term goal is to integrate climate resilient features, like green roofs, into bus stop infrastructure,” said Davis, “If there's a surface that we're not using, it should be vegetated, it should be cool.” ## Residents as Data Collectors and Advocates Sittenfeld and Davis emphasized how Boston and nearby municipalities involved in the heat mapping projects have ensured community members and local residents are engaged in planning decisions. For instance, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) incorporated community ambassadors in listening sessions to understand the impacts of extreme heat and the need for cooling stations. “They spent time out in the community, talking to people about the vulnerabilities and of potential things that could be done,” Sittenfeld said, with the goal to “augment spatial data with social data…about what it means for different communities to experience extreme heat.” By combining community-driven insights and innovative data collection methods, local officials and researchers are not only deepening their understanding of urban heat but also developing targeted interventions to protect the most vulnerable residents. As extreme heat continues to challenge the region, collaborative and data-based approaches offer a promising model for building urban resilience and ensuring that all communities are best equipped to stay safe. ## About the Author ### April Hopcroft ![April Hopcroft headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_1_1__100x100_scale/public/2025-08/April%20Hopcroft.png?itok=02tg0wwv) April Hopcroft is a Masters of Public Health graduate student at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Previously, she worked as a staff writer and is currently a summer employee with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. She earned a BA in Neuroscience and Spanish from Smith College in 2021. See also:- [ Data Visualization ](/topics/data-visualization) - [ Environment ](/topics/environment) - [ Public Health ](/topics/public-health) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)