Adaptation, exposure, and politics: Local extreme heat and global climate change risk perceptions in the phoenix metropolitan region, USA

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2022.103763
• Publication Date: 2022-05-27T21:30:45Z
• Authors: Mahir Yazar; Abigail York; Kelli L. Larson
• Keywords: Adaptive capacity; Extreme Weather; Risk Perception; Urban Heat Island; Climate risk

Cities around the planet are facing climate change risks including (but not limited to) extreme heat, drought, wildfire, and flooding. Urbanites perceptions of posed by influence communities' mitigation adaption responses, but there is literature on in cities. Urban impacts multi-scalar, existing work isolates local versus global considerations. Adaptive capacity affects impacts, yet scholarship urban typically framed through an adaptive lens. In this study, we explore how exposure to place-based vs. social connections, socio-demographics affect residents' perception that heat (local heat) or (global change) seriously their household way life. Using a survey from metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona (USA), area increased rapid change, study shows urbanites' weather conditions mediated part infrastructure planning (e.g., access green infrastructure) magnified also shaped political ideology. We find place attachment Latino Hispanic ethnic background positively while high income negatively influences impacts. Heat positively, whereas risk both change. Risk influenced capacity. Identifying drivers across different contexts essential step for generating in-situ adaptation strategies