The world is urbanizing rapidly. By 2050, more than two-thirds of the world’s population will reside in cities. Increased urbanization has modified many biophysical processes which often lead to a rapid increase in local ambient temperatures. Such increase in intra-urban temperatures results in the formation of urban heat islands (UHI), raising concerns over the health of people and the environment. In the last few decades, the incidences of heat waves have increased, apparently because of climate change. Therefore, the city authorities across the globe are working hard to develop city-specific heat action plans (HAPs). These HAPs are targeted at saving the lives of people during heat wave episodes, especially those living in UHIs, through early adoption of preventive measures. Remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) can greatly aid in developing HAPs. In this paper, we have provided an example of how city-level HAPs can be made more robust using remote sensing and GIS, and discuss the way forward.