Summary:  Every year we hear more and more about the dangers of extreme heat exposure in cities across the globe. Within the United States, estimates of 1500 deaths per year can be ascribed to extreme heat exposure. These risks have led to billions of dollars of investments into ways to mitigate that exposure, largely through tree planting. However, the cooling efficiency of urban trees is known to be quite variable, resulting in potentially less heat mitigation in more humid climate regions. Moreover, to best mitigate extreme heat exposure in cities, interventions must be targeted to where that exposure risk may be highest. This talk highlights our team’s effort in modelling urban heat distribution in the United States, and analyzing how different urban land covers, including trees, modify temperature during climate norms and heat waves. We also address the human scale by examining what drives heat exposure at urban commuting locations in Denver Colorado, and why certain demographics of populations have greater access to cooler bus stops than others.