Is extreme heat still an overlooked urban risk?

Kevin O’Hare, Class of 2024-26, examines Tampa’s resilience to extreme heat—using a timely and personal lens. In July 2025, the city recorded temperatures of 100°F for the first time, highlighting the urgency of an issue often taken for granted in tropical climates.

The Challenge

My consultancy was for the City of Tampa and addressed Tampa’s resilience against extreme heat by stress testing the city's adopted strategy using three methods co-created by participants. Globally, urban areas are dedicating more resource to address and adapt to extreme heat. Tampa is my home, and I felt that extreme heat was an often-overlooked topic due to our tropical climate. In July 2025, Tampa reached 100 degrees for the first time, which I felt was a catalyst moment to bring both issue awareness and a call to action through my consultancy.

The biggest challenges I encountered was a sincere lack of knowledge on extreme heat. To mitigate this, I would prompt questions on extreme heat that focus on the interviewers lived experience to bridge the knowledge gap and co-create meaning. People love to talk about the weather, and we all experience it every day. It’s something we can all relate too. Using that as a starting point proved to be a helpful tool to gather relevant information. The power of shared learning for decision makers, which provides space for deliberation, allowing an authentic space to change your mind in our increasingly polarizing and highly reactive political environment.

The Findings

This project convinced me that cities need more organizers; co-creation of implementation strategies is paramount when dealing with a polycentric power dynamic such as Tampa, and to a degree the vast majority of cities have power dynamics of what they can control versus what they cannot. Saying “no” is easy, but what takes constant effort is building those relationships that can make a difference.

Future Impact

I hope that this report has empowered the 30+ participants to take a second look at extreme heat in Tampa. I’ve already heard from some participants about steps they are taking to keep the conversation going, especially as Tampa gears up for another summer with extreme heat around the corner.

The EMC in Practice

I would say that the EMC Lab [sic: the programme’s fifth module on Strategic and Master planning] prepared me the most for this consultancy project. Being able to learn methods that allowed me to take a topic that is very broad and bring it to a tangible, digestible form.

My advice to future cohorts is to be collaborative, pre-schedule your meetings with your advisor in advance, and don’t be afraid to change your mind.