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Planning commission approves heat-mitigation general-plan amendment tied to Assembly Bill 96
Summary
The commission approved a general-plan amendment to add a supplemental heat-mitigation plan, citing Assembly Bill 96 (2025) and local heat impacts including staff-cited statistics for 2024; the item will move to city council on July 15.
The Las Vegas Planning Commission approved a general-plan amendment on Thursday to incorporate a supplemental heat-mitigation plan into the city’s 2050 master plan, a change staff said is required in part by Assembly Bill 96 from the 2025 legislative session.
Marco Vada of the city’s Department of Community Development described heat as “one of the deadliest natural disasters,” and told commissioners that staff tracked more than “500 heat deaths and 3,500 ER visits attributable to heat in 2024 alone.” The amendment calls for a suite of measures including expanded urban forestry and shade, improved access to drinking water, an interactive map of cooling resources, expanded and better-signed cooling centers for extreme events, and building-design recommendations such as reduced hardscape, insulation, upgraded HVAC and passive-cooling strategies.
Vada said the plan complements the urban-forestry management plan and follows regional coordination with neighboring jurisdictions on tree and landscaping requirements. Commissioners asked about tree canopy impacts on surface temperatures and about coordination with building-code updates; staff said regional working groups were convened and that implementation will include outreach and future code work.
The commission moved the amendment forward; the item will be considered by city council on July 15. Staff emphasized that the plan aims to reduce heat exposure disparities in neighborhoods such as East Las Vegas and downtown, where concentrations of older building stock and limited canopy increase vulnerability.
Why it matters: Staff framed the amendment as an urgent public-health and planning response to an escalating urban-heat challenge that disproportionately affects certain neighborhoods, workers who are outdoors, and people experiencing housing insecurity.
What’s next: The item is scheduled to be considered by City Council on July 15; staff said further operational and code changes would follow separate implementation processes.
