Lower Roxbury is a vibrant and diverse neighborhood in Boston, Its historic district is a cultural center for African American, West African and Caribbean communities that have settled in nearby Roxbury and Dorchester.
As the area evolved, it became a destination for African Americans migrating from the American South and later on, for African and Caribbean immigrants, due to its proximity to industrial jobs and the many Black businesses and institutions that call Roxbury home.
With fewer parks and trees to absorb heat, Dorchester and Roxbury experience temperatures 2-6˚F hotter than the rest of Boston. Construction and development in these neighborhoods is concentrating new housing in these neighborhoods, while also diminishing the availability of urban green space and exacerbating extreme heat impacts.
When community members identified the lack of green space and youth education and vocational opportunities as priorities for the neighborhood through the Resilience 4 Communities program, a local youth development organization identified a location in Dorchester where they could train young people to build shade and seating to improve an underused lot and its potential as a community green space.
Green jobs training is preparing young people for green careers and fostering climate resilience in their communities.
Green construction training equips underserved youth with the skills needed for careers in sustainable building practices, focusing on environmentally responsible construction techniques and the development of resilient infrastructure.
Through a structured curriculum centered on sustainable design and communitybased projects,
participants gain hands-on experience in the green economy and construction trades.
The Tactical Guide to Urban Cooling Infrastructure helps communities design, implement and scale urban cooling solutions.
The Design Toolkit for Urban Cooling Infrastructure is a publicly accessible guide that equips community leaders, nonprofits, and city governments with practical strategies to implement equitable cooling interventions in underserved urban areas most impacted by climate change.
Co-created through community engagement, this toolkit provides actionable guidance for developing cooling stations and serves as a vital resource for community stakeholders working to enhance urban resilience.
Cooling structures transformed an underused lot into an urban oasis
Four cooling stations in Dorchester provide relief from extreme heat while integrating climate resilience with cultural programming. YouthBuild students were actively involved in the design process, gaining hands-on experience that improves their readiness for careers in construction trades and the green economy.
Beyond infrastructure, these cooling structures foster community engagement, storytelling and long-term advocacy for climate resilience and public space investment.
These transformations are being powered by a diverse group of organizations. Together, we are creating a stronger, more resilient community.
Keep scrolling to meet our partners!
The Chinatown Community Land Trust
The Chinatown Community Land Trust helped create initial connections between the Resilience 4 Communities program and other community organizations and supported the community engagement process that informed Chinatown’s Community Action Plan.
Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medical Center and Dr. MyDzung Chu, a public health expert, are supporting heat and health workshops in Chinatown and contributing to the recommendations of the Chinatown Heat Action Plan.
Asian Community Development Corporation
As a partner of the Heat and Health Workshops, Asian Community Development Corporation helped recruit community members to attend and identify community members to support with outreach and facilitation.
CHIC Community Engagement Consulting
CHIC Community Engagement Consulting supported the creation of accessible, multilingual outreach materials and growing awareness about the Community Heat Action Plan through multilingual messages on platforms used widely throughout the community like WeChat.
Main Street America
Main Street America is sharing insights from the Chinatown Heat Action Plan and small business microgrants program with its network of hundreds of business associations nationwide.
Z Zurich Foundation
Z Zurich Foundation provides global leadership and core funding for the program, lending its expertise through tools like Climate Resilience Measurement for Communities to ensure projects reflect community priorities ands contribute to a broader impact.
Zurich North America
Zurich North America is sharing resilience expertise with cities and communities, helping assess projects developed by community members and bringing volunteers to community events.
Architecture for Public Benefit
Architecture for Public Benefit provided design support to creating an accessible and visually compelling guide to the Chinatown Community Heat Action Plan, as well as a foldable, bilingual pamphlet explaining the plan in Chinese and English.
Resilient Cities Network
R-Cities employs tools to assess community resilience, develop solutions with community members and mobilize funding for resilience action through Resilient Community Impact Funds (RCI Funds).
Chinatown Main Street
Chinatown Main Street supports local businesses in Boston’s Chinatown and has led the implementation of heat and health workshops, the Chinatown Heat Action Plan working group and the distribution of air purifiers to local businesses.
City of Boston Climate Ready Team
The Climate Ready Team has supported the Resilience 4 Communities program in Boston since the very beginning, helping collect survey responses from community members, convening relevant organizations and supporting the implementation of community climate initiatives.
