Chinatown Heat Action Plan: Building Climate and Heat Resilience in Boston’s Chinatown

The Chinatown Heat Action Plan serves as a roadmap for how Boston’s Chinatown can prepare for and respond to heat emergencies. Developed through collaboration with residents, community organizations, institutional partners, and City agencies, the plan reflects eight months of dedicated discussions with an advisory group committed to advancing climate and heat resilience in the neighborhood.

The initiative, Cool Down Chinatown, is supported by the Resilient Cities Network with funding from the Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich North America. It emerged from a community engagement process that identified three key indicators for improving climate resilience: heat risk investment, heat response planning, and emergency infrastructure and supplies.

To address these needs, the plan is structured around three core pillars:

• Monthly working group to coordinate and align City resources with community needs.
• Heat education workshops for older residents, focusing on the health risks of extreme heat and strategies to stay safe.
• Micro-grant program for local restaurants to equip them with air-purifying systems, supporting both public health and community spaces.

Together, these actions aim to strengthen Chinatown’s capacity to withstand rising temperatures and build a more resilient, prepared community.