Equitable climate adaptation planning: an AI-driven framework for mitigating compound heat and PM2.5 exposure
Thematic Area: Environment
Faculty Advisor: Alexandra Ponette-Gonzalez, Department of City and Metropolitan Planning
Yarong Cao will investigate how urban outdoor spaces can be planned and designed more equitably to mitigate compound extreme heat and PM2.5 exposure, using Salt Lake City as a case study. She will integrate AI tools with multi-source environmental data to map hyperlocal exposure and examine built-environment drivers across multiple scales. This project will inform AI-driven, equity-oriented climate adaptation strategies for urban planning and design.
Cao joined the University of Utah in 2024 to work toward a Ph.D. in metropolitan planning, policy, and design. She holds two landscape architecture degrees: a bachelor’s from Jinan University and master’s from South China University of Technology, both in Guangzhou, China.
