Seeing the Heat: How a Communication Tool Transformed Experiences into Evidence for New York City’s Climate Response

, a partnership between South Bronx Unite, Columbia University, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, addresses this gap by collecting and visualizing firsthand narratives from New Yorkers alongside public health data. By integrating stories with environmental health data, this project demonstrates how qualitative and quantitative approaches together strengthen climate communication. These narratives illuminate the cumulative toll of heat on physical, emotional, and mental health and community life, particularly in under-resourced neighborhoods. This initiative models a new form of government communication that uses public platforms for storytelling and relationship-building. In doing so, it advances awareness, informs policy, and offers a replicable framework for integrating narrative into climate-health resilience work.