Orange County NC Website
D4. Please list any <br />data sources used in <br />reference to D1, D2, <br />and D3 and show the <br />steps of any <br />calculations. (300 <br />word limit) <br />1. Data Sources Used: <br />-Population & Demographics: Orange County population (~150,626, 2023) <br />and racial composition from the 2020 Census (DataUSA). <br />-Median Household Income: $88,553 (Orange County Demographics <br />Appendix A) <br />-Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) leveraged to identify vulnerable census <br />tracts (UNC ArcGIS Orange County Tree Planting Map). <br />-Tree Equity Score to select project zones (TreeEquityScore.org) <br />-Environmental Justice Context: Studies linking low-income and <br />communities of color to reduced canopy and higher heat impacts. [Gorrell, <br />J., Jean-Philippe, S. R., Ries, P. D., Richards, J. K., Poudyal, N. C., & <br />Butler, R. (2024). Geospatial Analysis of Urban Heat Island Effects and <br />Tree Equity. Open Journal of Forestry, 14, 1-18.] <br />2. Calculation & Methodological Steps: <br />-Step 1: Retrieved overall Orange County demographics and income data <br />from Census sources for baseline context (D2). <br />-Step 2: Identified target census tracts using Orange County's integrated <br />mapping approach, layering: <br />---Urban Heat Island data (Landsat 8, 2022) <br />---Heat-retaining roads buffer zones <br />---EPA Disadvantaged Communities designation <br />---CDC/ATSDR SVI (2020) <br />---Tree Equity Score for canopy gaps <br />-Step 3: Noted that these tracts often correlate with greater concentrations <br />of BIPOC residents and households below median income, per national <br />patterns and local SVI themes (e.g., Minority Status, Socioeconomic <br />Status). <br />-Step 4: Framed direct beneficiaries as households in those high-need <br />areas, emphasizing inclusivity across gender, race, age, income spectrum. <br />-Step 5: Understood indirect beneficiaries as local neighbors and <br />community members impacted by improved environmental conditions. <br />-Step 6: Cited literature reinforcing how UHI disproportionately impacts <br />communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. <br />Hsu, A., et al. (2021). Disproportionate exposure to urban heat island <br />intensity across major U.S. cities. <br />Gronlund, C. J. (2014). Racial and socioeconomic disparities in <br />heat related health outcomes: A review of evidence. <br />Chakraborty, T. C., et al. (2023). Residential segregation and outdoor <br />urban moist heat: evidence from a national-scale analysis. Science of The <br />Total Environment <br />Docusign Envelope ID: CB1A7685-96B7-4FBD-80E0-8CF756D5E579