After a lethal 1995 heat wave turned refrigerator trucks from the popular Taste of Chicago festival into makeshift morgues, Chicago became a recognized leader, tamping down on the urban heat island impact through opening cooling centers, outreach to vulnerable neighborhoods, planting trees, creating cool white or vegetated green roofs.
După ce valul de căldură letal din 1995 a transformat autocamioanele frigorifice de la popularul festival Taste of Chicago în morgi improvizate, Chicago a devenit liderul recunoscut, atenuând impactul arşiţei urbane prin deschiderea de centre de răcorire, extinderea la zonele limitrofe vulnerabile, plantarea de arbori, crearea de acoperişuri albe, răcoroase sau cultivate.