Shade Equity & Heat Vulnerability Across University of British Columbia (UBC) Neighbourhoods

By integrating LiDAR-derived shade frequency, land surface temperature (LST) from Landsat, and 2021 Statistics Canada census indicators, three indices were constructed across six University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver neighbourhoods. The indices developed include an Exposure Index that combines LST and shade frequency, a Social Equity Index (SEI) that captures demographic sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity (AC) that incorporates water features and socioeconomic indicators.

A Composite Vulnerability Index (CVI) was developed by combining these three indices to identify priority neighbourhoods for heat interventions under the Neighbourhood Climate Action Plan (NCAP). East Campus and University Boulevard were identified as having the highest CVI values (0.289 and 0.283, respectively), driven by elevated LST, limited shade, and low AC. Wesbrook Place was noted as the least vulnerable due to its high AC (0.702).