Tucson CBS Affiliate Turns to Sustainable Built Environments Professor for Insight on the Dangers of Hiking in Southern Arizona Heat

June 15, 2021
Who
Ladd Keith, Assistant Professor of Planning and Sustainable Built Environments
What
Quoted in Tucson CBS Affiliate KOLD News 13
When
June 14, 2021
Image
Desert sunset silhouette

In a series covering "Monsoon 2021" broadcast June 14, Tucson CBS affiliate TV station KOLD News 13 interviewed Ladd Keith, assistant professor of planning and sustainable built environments in the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona, on how "hiking in heat can have deadly repercussions in Southern Arizona."

Image
Ladd Keith

Ladd Keith, University of Arizona Associate Professor of Planning and Sustainable Built Environments.

The story notes that there were more than 500 heat-related deaths in Arizona last year, “the most deaths caused by heat exposure in the past 10 years.”

“Deaths are increasing and that’s something to worry about,” says Keith. Temperatures will continue to climb in the face of climate change.

“If we don’t get global emissions under control,” he says, “we’re looking at an 8.5-degree increase for the southwest by 2100, which would mean about 45 more days per year that would be above 100 degrees.”

Keith, who joined CAPLA in 2009, is an interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of urban planning and climate change to create more sustainable and resilient cities. He has over a decade of experience working with diverse stakeholders to solve complex urban challenges in cities across the U.S. His current research explores urban heat governance and how cities can increase heat resilience through the mitigation and management of heat. In addition to founding and leading CAPLA’s Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments, Keith teaches public participation and dispute resolution and climate action planning.


Header photo by Peter Perhac, courtesy Pixabay.

  

Subscribe to The Studio

Sign up for CAPLA's monthly e-newsletter to get the latest news and events, insights from faculty and leadership, profiles of students and alumni and more.

Subscribe Now

Latest CAPLA News, Projects and Profiles

Image
 Sandra Bernal Cordova, Altaf Engineer and Ladd Keith

CAPLA Faculty Awarded $250K to Start Heat Consortium

A team led by CAPLA’s Sandra Bernal Cordova, Altaf Engineer, and Ladd Keith has received a $250,000 grant over two years from the Office of Research and Partnerships through the inaugural Big Idea Challenge. Their project, the Heat and Health Resilience Innovation Consortium (HHRIC), aims to develop community-centered solutions to the growing threat of extreme heat. The team—comprising experts from across the University of Arizona—will focus on wearable biosensors, mobile cooling and care structures, health system algorithms, and AI-powered education tools. Their innovations, including the solar-powered CHILL-IT Health Oasis and telemedicine-equipped Kiosk Care, aim to improve public health and infrastructure resilience in Arizona and beyond.

Image
Pele Kruse

Leading Women in Architecture Society: Pele Kruse ‘26 B.Arch

Pele Kruse, Class of 2026, is earning her Bachelor of Architecture as the first Samoan student in the program. Passionate about sustainable, community-focused design, she’s dedicated to uplifting underrepresented communities through architecture. As president of the Women in Architecture Society and a standout in studio projects, Pele is preparing to return home and help shape the future of architecture in American Samoa.

Image
Clare and Kelly

Clare Robinson and Kelly Eitzen Smith honored with 2025 Darryl B. Dobras Awards

Clare Robinson and Kelly Eitzen Smith are the 2025 recipients of the Darryl B. Dobras Awards for Excellence. Robinson was recognized for her leadership in the School of Architecture, while Eitzen Smith was honored for her work supporting accreditation and assessment in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning.