The city of Phoenix’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation and its partners were selected for a $115,000 grant award from the Climate Smart Communities Initiative to support the Water for Shade Project.

Joining a cohort of 27 other projects across the country and selected from a competitive pool of 271 applicants, Water for Shade will address extreme heat in Phoenix’s Sunnyslope neighborhood.

With $115,000 in grant support from CSCI, the partnership will explore sustainable financing models for tree canopy expansion, leading to key learnings for neighborhoods across Phoenix and beyond. This work supports the priorities of the city of Phoenix’s Shade Plan, Climate Plan and General Plan.

The Water for Shade Project is a collaboration between the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Resilient Cities Catalyst and the nonprofit Unlimited Potential.

This project will culminate in an actionable plan for place-based greening, including pilot tree plantings and innovative irrigation systems, ultimately reducing the public health risks of extreme temperatures by creating a more connected and shaded urban corridor. The project will also include an assessment of governance and financing options to accelerate planting and support maintenance for trees. It also allows for partnerships among the city, businesses, community organizations, property owners and residents.

Water for Shade builds upon the team’s partnership supported through RCC’s Small Business Climate Resilience Program, which has helped to advance community-driven projects addressing extreme heat in neighborhoods across Phoenix.

Editor’s note: The above was republished from a city of Phoenix news release.