InHospitable

Phoenix — America's hottest and fastest-growing big city — is on the frontlines in the fight against drought, extreme heat, and wildfire. We bring you stories of how these global problems affect real Arizonans, and what is being done to solve them. This podcast series is supported by the Arizona Community Foundation and Intel.


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Heat

Michael Smith
Michael Smith, 64, ended up without a home when medical issues prevented him from working and a friend he lived with moved. He said he experienced heat stroke "three or four times" last summer, his first in Phoenix without a home.
Resources
Gretchen Reinhart
Gretchen Reinhart has worked tirelessly to plant trees and promote resiliency in her own Escalante Neighborhood in Tempe. She stands inside one of her successful projects, a community garden for the neighborhood.
Interviewing
Kathy Rodriguez
Kathy Rodriguez, 57, stands in front of the Justa Center in downtown Phoenix, which functions as a cooling center for people without homes during the day in the summer months.
A leader from the local nonprofit organization Unlimited Potential leads a conversation with community members about climate resilience and heat in Tempe's Escalante Neighborhood.
A leader from the local nonprofit organization Unlimited Potential leads a conversation with community members about climate resilience and heat in Tempe's Escalante Neighborhood.
A shade structure in Tempe
A shade structure in Tempe provides little shade. According to neighborhood advocate, Gretchen Reinhardt, this structure is an example of how solutions to extreme heat can be inadequate if not fully thought out.
Contributor
Anthony J. Wallace

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In Phoenix, the temperature is climbing and heat deaths are rising. Hear from the people most vulnerable to heat (elderly and homeless) and the experts fighting to help them. Plus, meet neighborhood activists who reveal how heat exposes systemic inequality and learn what heat-beating innovations are on the horizon.

Producers
Anthony J. Wallace