{"id":3606,"date":"2025-12-18T16:14:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T00:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/?p=3606"},"modified":"2025-12-19T14:48:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T22:48:55","slug":"what-if-we-transformed-los-angeles-with-lifesaving-shade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/what-if-we-transformed-los-angeles-with-lifesaving-shade\/","title":{"rendered":"What If \u2026
We Transformed Los Angeles with Lifesaving Shade?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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What If \u2026
We Transformed Los Angeles with Lifesaving Shade?<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n December 18, 2025<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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A new coalition working to protect Angelenos from dangerous heat before the 2028 Olympics \u2014 and for decades to come \u2014 is led by USC Dornsife Public Exchange.<\/p>\n

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The Challenge<\/h2>\n

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Los Angeles is heating up. Extreme heat is now the region\u2019s deadliest weather-related threat.<\/p>\n

Without relief, residents face a greater risk of heat-related illness, increased energy costs and diminished quality of life \u2014 especially in neighborhoods with little or no shade.<\/p>\n

Providing cover through trees and man-made structures such as canopies is one of the simplest and most effective defenses against extreme heat. While that protection can transform blistering neighborhoods into safe, livable spaces, it\u2019s not shared equally. Communities most at risk from extreme heat are often those with the least shade.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Plan<\/h2>\n

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With nine major sporting events on the horizon (including next year\u2019s FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics), the region has an unprecedented opportunity to invest in solutions that will protect residents, workers and visitors alike while creating a lasting legacy.<\/p>\n

ShadeLA<\/a> \u2014 led by USC Dornsife Public Exchange<\/a> in collaboration with UCLA, the city and county of Los Angeles, and nonprofits and community groups \u2014 is an effort to bring much-needed shade across L.A.<\/p>\n

Together, these partners are identifying where shade is most urgently needed, protecting the shade we already have, and cutting through the red tape to add more. By providing tools, guidance and technical support, ShadeLA is also making it easier for residents, businesses, schools and public agencies to be part of the shade movement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Impact<\/h2>\n

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Expanding shade isn\u2019t just about comfort \u2014 it\u2019s about survival. Shade can reduce \u201cfeels-like\u201d temperatures by as much as 35 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit \u2014 a difference that can protect health, save lives and significantly reduce heat-related trips to the emergency room, easing the burden on local hospitals.<\/p>\n

The project is working closely with residents, community organizations and policymakers to ensure solutions are not only effective but embraced.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n