Last July, the city of Houston faced extreme heat, with many days exceeding 100°. In some places, the thermometer climbed 10° hotter than others. Often, the hottest neighborhoods were also the least likely to have working air conditioning, with sometimes lethal results.

This phenomenon, called the “heat island effect”, tends to happen in low income urban areas where there are insufficient green spaces and vegetation, leaving only concrete and asphalt to amplify the heat.

It’s not just the heat that’s distributed unequally. Low income neighborhoods have fewer parks and trees, contributing to poor air quality. Studies also find that affluent – often white – areas have everything from community gardens to EV charging stations, while low income – often Black and brown – communities lack bike lanes, public transportation, and sustainable infrastructure.

This wealth and resource divide was driven by “redlining”, the unjust housing and lending practices designed to prevent people of color from living in mostly white, well-resourced neighborhoods for decades. That discrimination continues to influence who gets the gardens and who gets the heat.