Two side-by-side photos of Los Angeles, one of a treelined street and the other of a street with concrete sidewalks and a dried plant in the foreground.

(Photographs: Tiffany Luong.)

As climate disparities divide LA, researchers aim to heal the scars of environmental injustice

In a county reft by heat, USC Dornsife plants the seeds of change.

ByTomas Weber July 11, 2024

In Southern California, heat divides communities not by mere degrees — it creates different worlds. Here, in this region known for some of the nation’s most extreme temperatures, the experience of a hot day can vary dramatically from one neighborhood to another. Consider a summer afternoon in affluent, predominantly white, tree-lined Madison Heights in Pasadena, where ancient oaks cast cooling shade over elegant streets and filter pollutants, making the air feel surprisingly pleasant even when the mercury soars.

Contrast this with South Los Angeles, a mere 40-minute drive away, where the demographic shifts to predominantly Black and Latino residents. Park on Vermont Avenue, just south of USC’s University Park Campus, and you’re immediately struck by the stark landscape: Vast expanses of exposed asphalt absorb and radiate the sun’s intensity, making the air shimmer with heat. Here, the oppressive warmth is not just felt; it assaults you, underscoring a tale of two climates within a single metropolitan expanse.