Are Cooling Materials A Solution To Fight Urban Heat?

To address shade inequality and rising heat deaths, the American Forests launched a digital tool in 2021 that scores geographic areas based on tree canopy and surface temperature, as well as other factors such as income, employment, race, age and health. It then calculates a Tree Equity Score and maps out the regions that have the greatest need for trees. With this information, Tucson aims to plant one million trees by 2030, and has already planted 120,000 over the past four years.

A partnership between local nonprofit Climate Resolve and roofing and waterproofing manufacturer GAF covered 700,000 square feet of dark asphalt surfaces with a solar-reflective coating to help keep residents cool in the summer. Research found that during an extreme heat event, the area with the pavement coating saw ambient temperatures 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than an adjacent neighborhood.

In Phoenix, Arizona, a citywide tree-planting initiative is slowly increasing canopy cover to reduce the urban heat island effect in neighborhoods that need it the most. Residents pick between several varieties of desert-adapted trees, which are planted on their property by professional arborists, and take care of them with a provided kit.

Cool roofs — or roofs that are bright white, reflect sunlight, and radiate heat instead of absorbing it — can help keep indoor temperatures lower and reduce the urban heat island effect.

A collaboration between tree-planting organizations in Washington D.C. helps Catholic church properties to plant and care for trees. The free trees are an effort to combat urban heat and benefit the local environment.

The Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona is a key part of the city’s growing climate shelter network, which has expanded from 70 locations in 2020 to 368 last summer. The climate centers are integrated into the city’s public infrastructure — libraries, parks, museums, etc. — and have expanded to the point where 98% of the population is within a 10-minute walk from a shelter.

Innovators are developing new air conditioning units to keep people cool as temperatures and humidity rise without contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Alongside improved energy efficiency, the new tech focuses on sensing and reducing humidity in real-time and adjusting itself as humidity fluctuates throughout the day.

Organizations in cities across the United States, including Philadelphia and Tucson, are simultaneously combatting urban heat and hunger by planting fruit trees and edible plants that provide shade and food that community members can harvest.

As deadly heat waves become more common, cities are looking to increase social infrastructure and community connections to keep vulnerable community members safe from the heat.

Run by a nonprofit dedicated to creating economic development opportunities in underserved communities, the Solar Works DC training program provides people interested in entering the solar industry with certifications. The trainees are paid and spend up to seven weeks learning in the classroom and on the job.