Local scientists studying how the Chicago skyline contributes to city heat islands

CHICAGO -- The Chicago skyline may be iconic, but the skyscrapers and buildings may cause some Chicagoans to bear more of the city's heat.

Climate change impacts some communities more than others, and local scientists are trying to find out why by releasing weather balloons and capturing data to better understand how buildings may lead to rising temperatures. They will then use that information to build more equitable solutions for climate resilience.

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The very architecture that makes Chicago famous may be creating what the US Environmental Protection Agency calls "heat islands."

"Trees, buildings, the asphalt, pavement and all that. They all play a role in the temperatures that we feel," explained Christina Negri of the Argonne National Laboratory.

Heat gets trapped between buildings and, with limited ventilation, that can make ground level feel like a furnace.

"They may absorb heat, and that's why it's so hot inside, and they emit heat, and that's why working along the street level, you may have hotter temperatures than if you were somewhere else. Also, why trees mitigate some of that," Neri said.

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Local researchers are participating in a nationwide program called Community Research on Climate and Urban Science Urban Canyon project, or CROCUS, which aims to understand and mitigate the effects of urban heat island on the people who lives in cities like Chicago.

"It's a very diverse city with a lot of environmental justice issues, and so it's perfect place to really understand and tease out all those different parts of climate change and how they play out in different kinds of communities," Negri said.

Researchers are focusing on Chatham, Humboldt Park and Woodlawn; neighborhoods primarily inhabited by people of color and disproportionately affected by climate change.

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"We care about climate because, number one, we're the original environmentalists, if I may say so, and that conservation lifestyle has really deep spiritual roots in our community," said Naomi Davis, CEO of Blacks in Green.

Public awareness campaigns are also underway to educate about how urban design affects their daily lives and encourage community involvement in greening initiatives.

"We try to engage with youth, with community members, so that we are not just invading the community and doing things, but working with them," Negri said.

"We're educating the neighbors, bringing them in for food truck and a little education," Davis said.

The CROCUS team will use what they've learned to explore solutions, like green roofs and walls, increasingly urban greenery and using reflective and lighter-colored building materials to combat rising temperatures.

"If we don't start doing it, we'll never know how to do it right," said Negri.

CROCUS Urban Canyon is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The project ended this past Monday, July 29. Right now, researchers are reviewing the data they collected.

This story is part of our Climate Ready series - a collaboration between ABC News and the ABC Owned Television Stations focused on providing practical solutions to help you and your family adapt to extreme weather events and the current challenges of climate change.