BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Boynton Beach is making history as the only city in Florida — and one of just 21 nationwide — to receive a major grant aimed at protecting residents from extreme heat.
WATCH BELOW: 'Extreme heat is a really big issue here,' Alannah Irwin tells WPTV's Vannia Joseph
The $100,000 award comes from the Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) and will fund the creation of a data-informed, community-driven urban heat resilience strategy. The plan will focus on solutions such as expanding the city's tree canopy, adding shaded public spaces, and building cooling infrastructure in neighborhoods most at risk.
Project partners include the city of Boynton Beach, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA, Community Greening, EcoAdapt, and American Forests. City officials say this milestone reinforces Boynton Beach's growing reputation as a destination for sustainability and innovation.
"Extreme heat, as you're standing out here right now, is a really big issue here," said Alannah Irwin, the city's sustainability and resiliency administrator. "We need to get our tree canopy up significantly. The average urban tree canopy percentage is 35%, and our city averages about 20."
Irwin said the plan will be tailored to the needs of individual neighborhoods.
"Every neighborhood is going to need a different approach, and that's what we're hoping to address through community surveys and outreach," she said.
For longtime environmental advocate Susan Oyer, the effort is personal. She served on the city's sustainability board years ago and helped start Boynton Beach's tree-planting program. Oyer also led the fight to save a local forest from development. She hopes the grant will allow the city to finish what they started.
"I battle against bad development and overdevelopment, and yes, I think this will be a great equalizer," Oyer said. "We were supposed to plant 3,000 trees a year for 15 years, but it's kind of gone to the wayside, because of funding."
Irwin said the funding will be used in the most cost-effective way possible, focusing on the areas that will have the greatest impact.
"I can't say that we're going to be putting banyan trees everywhere in the city, but we're definitely going to be looking at areas that need trees — and areas that have trees that don't help with shade."
City leaders expect to have a draft of the urban heat resilience strategy ready by summer 2026.
