Google pilots heat resilience tool in 14 US cities

Image via Smart Cities Dive

From Smart Cities Dive:

Climate change-driven extreme heat presents a pressing challenge for cities around the world. Local and state governments are beginning to hire chief heat officers and devise heat action plans packed with short-term measures, such as opening cooling centers for the public to find respite on hot days, and long-term strategies, like increasing tree canopy.

Among the solutions that cities are turning to are “cool” pavement and roofs, which are designed to reflect rather than absorb sunlight. Some research has shown these reflective surfaces, deployed at neighborhood scale, can lower the ambient air temperature by several degrees Fahrenheit. However, some experts warn that this cooling effect is marginal compared with the public health benefits of increasing access to shade.