In episode 244 of America Adapts, we adapt in the southwest! Welcome to the desert proving ground for climate adaptation. In my home state of Arizona—Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff—we get right down on the ground to see how communities are beating extreme heat, planning responsibly for water in a changing climate, and living with wildfire risk without losing what makes these places home. You'll hear street-level fixes that change daily life—and travel anywhere—plus a clear playbook cities can steal now: run the hottest months smarter, put shad...
In episode 244 of America Adapts, we adapt in the southwest! Welcome to the desert proving ground for climate adaptation. In my home state of Arizona—Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff—we get right down on the ground to see how communities are beating extreme heat, planning responsibly for water in a changing climate, and living with wildfire risk without losing what makes these places home. You'll hear street-level fixes that change daily life—and travel anywhere—plus a clear playbook cities can steal now: run the hottest months smarter, put shade where people actually stand and walk, and build the partnerships that keep projects alive. We also spotlight the next wave of adaptation pros coming out of Arizona's universities and city halls—real careers, real impact. If it works in the desert, parts of it can work where you live. Made possible by generous support from the CO2 Foundation.
Experts in this Episode:
- Dr. Ladd Keith – Associate Professor in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning at the University of Arizona
- Fatima Luna – Chief Resilience Officer City of Tucson
- Blue Baldwin – Storm to Shade Program Manager at Tucson Water for the City of Tucson
- Alekzander Ryan - Heat Resilience Initiative, Southwest Integrated Field Laboratory
- David Hondula - Director of Heat Response and Mitigation for the City of Phoenix
- Ryan Stevens – Engineering manager with the City of Phoenix
- Nicole P. Antonopoulos – Sustainability Director City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office
- Victoria Joseph and Leona Davis - University of Arizona's Institute for Resilience
This episode was generously sponsored by the CO2 Foundation.
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Links in this episode:
https://climateaction.tucsonaz.gov/pages/gsi
https://www.awwa.org/AWWA-Articles/tucsons-storm-to-shade-program-creates-a-cooler-city/
https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/4687/Meet-the-Sustainability-Team
https://www.phoenix.gov/administration/departments/heat/heat-response-programs/heat-response-plan.html
https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/phoenix-fights-urban-heat-with-expanding-cool-pavement-program-that-lowers-street-temperatures
https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/oepsite/documents/climate/Heat.CAPWorkshops%202025%20AllSlides.pdf
https://www.coolseal.com/blog/az-family
Hiking Recommendations!
https://tucsontopia.com/tanque-verde-falls/
https://wildpathsaz.com/pusch-peak/
https://www.arizonahighways.com/cochise-trail
https://adventuresofaplusk.com/bear-canyon-to-seven-falls-trail/?srsltid=AfmBOopxtf54vPgFb6XX5rSiwzwPpfIXezBijXK_ClrUyed7McDH5TFx
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If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way, more information can be found here!
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