Richmond’s plans to combat urban heat no longer on ice

November 7, 2024, Chesapeake Bay Journal

Even though it was a hot day, Lisa Aikins-Afful, outreach and engagement coordinator from Southside ReLeaf in Richmond, didn’t feel bad about inviting people outside to see the location of a new park planned for their neighborhood. The wooded plot’s thick canopy, she said, cooled the air by almost 30 degrees. And the neighbors were excited to share their ideas on how to make it a community park.