The OurCounty Sustainability Plan and Climate Vulnerability Assessment identify Heat Equity Zones, where LA County deploys cool roofs, cool pavement, tree canopy, and cooling-center activations when forecast highs exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit for two or more days.
LA County's Climate Vulnerability Assessment maps heat exposure block by block, identifying Heat Equity Zones in inland communities like Pacoima, El Monte, Compton-adjacent unincorporated tracts, and the Antelope Valley. Mitigation strategies include cool-roof retrofits (Title 31), cool-pavement pilots (DPW), urban tree planting through TreePeople and the LA County Forestry Department, and green-infrastructure stormwater retrofits that double as shade. Cooling centers — typically libraries, senior centers, and parks buildings — open under the Operational Area Heat Plan when National Weather Service forecasts highs at 95 degrees Fahrenheit or above for 48 hours, or 100 degrees for any single day. The Office of Emergency Management coordinates with Public Health to publicize locations and transit options.
Mitigation programs are mostly capital and outreach, so individuals face no fines. Failing to comply with related rules — Title 31 cool-roof, Title 22 zoning shade requirements, tree-protection ordinances — triggers separate enforcement under those chapters with their own penalties.
See how Santa Monica's heat island mitigation rules stack up against other locations.
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