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Cincinnati has launched the Stay Cool Cincy pilot program to provide drinking water and portable misting stations during extreme summer heat. The program targets neighborhoods with greater heat exposure and limited tree canopy. The Cincinnati Innovation Team, Office of Environment & Sustainability, and Cincinnati ToolBank are recruiting 20 to 30 volunteers to host the stations along walking and transit routes.
The weather is getting hotter.
This is why Cincinnati is testing a new approach to helping residents cope with dangerous summer temperatures.
The city’s Innovation Team is leading the Stay Cool Cincy pilot with the Office of Environment & Sustainability and Cincinnati ToolBank.
The program will place publicly accessible cooling stations along busy walking and transit routes.
The stations can provide drinking water and portable misting systems. Organizers hope the program will offer relief to people who spend time outdoors while walking, biking, or waiting for public transportation.
The pilot comes as Greater Cincinnati experiences another stretch of intense September heat. WLWT reported that heat index values could reach around 100 degrees during the hottest parts of the week.
According to WVXU, organizers are seeking between 20 and 30 volunteers to host the stations. Some cooling stations are already operating as the city continues preparing additional equipment.
Cincinnati cooling stations target hotter neighborhoods
The Stay Cool Cincy pilot will focus on neighborhoods that experience greater exposure to extreme heat.
Organizers are specifically targeting Walnut Hills, Winton Hills, Bond Hill, Roselawn, Avondale, the West End, and Camp Washington. The program may also expand to other neighborhoods.
Rachel Cranmer, communications and community engagement associate for the Cincinnati Innovation Team, told WVXU that areas with less tree canopy can experience substantially hotter temperatures.
“So, really thinking about reaching people who need to get around outdoors, no matter the weather, to get where they need to go,” Cranmer said.
Those neighborhoods often provide less shade for people traveling outdoors. Sidewalks, roads, and other paved surfaces can also absorb and retain heat.
The City of Cincinnati has previously studied the urban heat island effect and identified extreme heat as a growing challenge for some communities. City officials say pavement and other developed surfaces can increase local temperatures by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it later.
Cranmer said the pilot focuses on people who must travel outdoors regardless of the weather.
That includes residents walking to work, riding bicycles, or waiting along public transit routes. The stations could provide a brief opportunity to cool down and hydrate.
WLWT also reported that the program will recruit residents and businesses to host publicly accessible stations in some of Cincinnati’s most heat-burdened areas.
How the Cincinnati cooling stations will work
The city is asking businesses, faith organizations, homeowners, and other volunteers to host cooling stations.
Volunteers can place the equipment along sidewalks or other publicly accessible locations. Organizers want stations located where pedestrian and transit activity remains high.
The Innovation Team is assembling kits that include portable misters and canned water from the City of Cincinnati, according to WVXU. Volunteers will receive support for water usage connected to operating the stations.
Organizers encourage hosts to activate the stations when temperatures reach 90 degrees or higher.
Volunteers may also choose operating hours based on neighborhood activity. For example, a host could open a station during the hottest afternoon hours or when students walk home from school.
The program plans to send volunteers reminders through text messages or emails when temperatures reach levels that could make outdoor activity more dangerous.
City officials are still testing what equipment and designs could work best.
According to WVXU, organizers may eventually work with engineers to develop a combined misting and drinking-water station. The current pilot will help determine whether residents want the service and how much a larger program could cost.
Pilot will test costs and public interest
Stay Cool Cincy is designed as a pilot rather than a permanent citywide program.
The city will use the remaining summer period to gather information about public demand and operating costs. Organizers also want to learn which station designs provide the most practical benefits.
Funding for the pilot comes from philanthropic dollars provided to Cincinnati ToolBank, according to WVXU. The funding does not come from the city’s general operating budget.
WLWT reported that the initiative represents a partnership between government, businesses, and residents.
Mayor Aftab Pureval said the program could help the city test new solutions for residents affected by extreme heat. He also pointed to the unequal impact that high temperatures can have on vulnerable communities.
The pilot follows similar efforts in other major cities, including New York City and Philadelphia, according to WVXU. Cincinnati officials will study whether a comparable neighborhood-based approach can work locally.
The program could also provide information for future investments in permanent cooling infrastructure.
Organizers are currently focused on finding enough volunteers to operate stations during the remainder of the summer and potentially in future summers.
Cincinnati already offers indoor cooling options
The portable stations will add another option to Cincinnati’s existing heat-relief resources.
The City of Cincinnati already uses Cincinnati Recreation Commission facilities as public cooling centers during periods of extreme heat. Residents can enter those facilities during regular operating hours without a membership.
According to the city, cooling centers provide residents with an indoor place to sit, cool down, and access water. The city also directs residents to recreation centers, pools, and spraygrounds during periods of dangerous heat.
Cincinnati opened several aquatic facilities early this summer in response to high temperatures.
The Cincinnati Recreation Commission opened seven spraygrounds and two pools ahead of its originally scheduled seasonal opening. The city later opened its remaining outdoor pools for the summer season.
The new Cincinnati cooling stations differ from those existing resources because they are designed for people already traveling outdoors.
Instead of requiring residents to travel to an indoor facility, the stations could provide water and misting relief along routes people already use.
Extreme heat remains a growing concern
The launch comes after several periods of dangerous heat affected Greater Cincinnati during the summer.
WVXU reported in July that extreme temperatures contributed to increased hospital visits in the region. Health officials warned residents to take heat illness seriously and move into cooler environments when symptoms develop.
Heat can pose greater risks for older adults, young children, outdoor workers, and people without reliable access to air conditioning.
Neighborhood conditions can also affect how people experience high temperatures. Areas with fewer trees and more pavement may provide less shade and retain more heat.
Cincinnati’s urban heat work has included research into cooling strategies and neighborhood resilience.
The city has explored approaches ranging from cooling centers to reflective pavement technologies. Officials say those efforts can help reduce the effects of concentrated heat in heavily developed areas.
The Stay Cool Cincy pilot will now test whether small, locally hosted stations can become another tool for addressing those conditions.
Residents and organizations can volunteer
The Cincinnati Innovation Team is continuing to recruit volunteers for the pilot.
Organizers want between 20 and 30 hosts to participate. Businesses, faith groups, homeowners, and others located near busy walking or transit routes may qualify to host a station.
The initial focus remains on Cincinnati neighborhoods that experience greater heat exposure, although participation is not limited to those areas.
Residents can also continue using existing city resources during periods of extreme heat, including recreation centers and other designated cooling locations.
The pilot’s results could help determine whether Cincinnati expands the Cincinnati cooling stations program in future summers.
For now, city officials will use the remaining hot weather to measure interest, test equipment, and learn how a larger neighborhood cooling network could operate.
FAQs
What is the Stay Cool Cincy program?
Stay Cool Cincy is a pilot program that places portable cooling stations in Cincinnati neighborhoods during periods of extreme heat. The stations can provide drinking water and portable misting systems for people traveling outdoors.
Where will the cooling stations be located?
Organizers are focusing on neighborhoods that experience higher temperatures and have less tree canopy. Stations are intended for locations along busy sidewalks, walking routes, and public transit corridors.
Who is operating the Cincinnati cooling stations?
The Cincinnati Innovation Team is leading the project with the Office of Environment & Sustainability and Cincinnati ToolBank. Businesses, faith organizations, homeowners, and other volunteers can also host stations.
When will the cooling stations operate?
Organizers encourage volunteers to operate stations when temperatures reach 90 degrees or higher. Individual hosts may also determine operating hours based on local conditions and pedestrian activity.
