Urban Heat Maps: Using GIS to Understand Climate Risk Through a Historically Informed Justice Lens

This workshop introduces participants to using ArcGIS Online to analyze urban heat through a historical and ethical lens. Using Richmond, Virginia as a case study, participants examine how present-day heat exposure aligns with patterns of Jim Crow–era disinvestment and redlining, highlighting how historic policy decisions continue to shape environmental risk.

Through guided, hands-on mapping, participants visualize land surface temperature, tree canopy, and impervious surfaces, then layer historic redlining and demographic context to assess who is most affected by extreme heat and why. The workshop centers ethical GIS practice, prompting participants to critically reflect on mapping choices, data limitations, and the responsibilities of spatial analysis in public-facing work. No prior GIS experience is required, and all activities are conducted in ArcGIS Online.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this 2-hour workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explain how Jim Crow-era policies and redlining shape present-day urban heat exposure
• Use GIS to identify spatial patterns of climate vulnerability
• Apply an ethics lens to decisions about what gets mapped, emphasized, or omitted
• Interpret maps as products of power, history, and choice… not neutral artifacts