Government

LinkNYC network again aids city's heat emergency response

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July 2, 2026

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New York City is using its LinkNYC kiosk network as a key component of its response to a historic heat wave, according to a press release, activating more than 2,200 kiosks to provide real-time walking directions to the nearest cooling center within a 10-minute walk.

The feature is part of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's expanded Heat Emergency Plan, which also includes additional cooling centers, extended public pool hours and increased outreach to vulnerable residents.

The city previously used the network for a similar effort during a June heat wave.

The kiosks integrate live city data to automatically display the closest available cooling center, giving pedestrians up-to-date guidance during periods of dangerous heat. City officials said the initiative builds on last winter's warming center campaign, which they described as the largest public service effort in LinkNYC's 10-year history, by adding automated data integration and real-time updates to improve the accuracy and speed of public information.

The LinkNYC deployment is part of a broader emergency response that includes hundreds of cooling centers, COOL vans providing wellness checks and transportation, expanded homeless outreach and temporary cooling stations for outdoor workers. Residents can also locate cooling centers by calling 311 or using the city's online cooling center finder, but the LinkNYC kiosks are intended to provide immediate, location-based guidance for people already on the street.