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COOL PAVEMENTS
In 2024, NTU coated roofs, walls, and roads across a Singapore industrial block: afternoon air fell by 2°C, and pedestrians felt up to 1.5°C cooler outdoorsIn Singapore, engineers have experimented with a groundbreaking coating designed to minimize heat absorption in urban settings. This innova...
Philadelphia installed white roofs on about 340 low-income seniors’ homes from 2001–2003; ceiling temperatures fell 4–5°F, and air-conditioning electricity use fell by 560 kWh per yearIn Philadelphia, the initiative to paint roofs white resulted in a remarkable decrease in home temperatures and energy consumption. This co...
In Tucson, a 28,000-square-foot city roof got a white elastomeric coating; cooling energy fell 50–65%, saving over 400 million Btu and nearly $4,000 a yearCool roof coatings present an easy and efficient method to lower cooling bills during hot summer days. A Tucson city building illustrated i...
Irvine coated a half-mile stretch of two connected streets with cool pavement; August and September measurements found the treated asphalt ran about 7-10°F coolerCities worldwide are turning to cool pavement technologies to tackle urban heat. In Irvine, California, treated roads have experienced a re...
Phoenix swapped black asphalt for a reflective road coating; noon surface heat fell 12°F, but pedestrians faced higher radiant heatIn an effort to lower urban heat, Phoenix tested innovative reflective pavement coatings on its roads, revealing that treated asphalt kept ...
Snow warning: Richardson Highway in Alaska under winter weather advisory as up to 8 inches expectedAlaska's eastern mountain range faces heavy snow and strong winds. A winter weather advisory covers a key Richardson Highway section. Drive...
Scientists tested reflective pavement through an Australian summer, and the road surface stayed cooler, but midday radiant heat increased above itA western Sydney trial revealed reflective roads cool surfaces but raise pedestrian temperatures. This study tracked the trade-off over a y...
Phoenix coated 36 miles of black asphalt with reflective coating to fight extreme heat. Road temperature dropped by 12°F, but pedestrians found a surprising side effectTo tackle the oppressive heat, Phoenix pioneered the use of lighter-toned roads, which successfully reduced surface temperatures significan...
In 2024, Phoenix City Council planned to plant over 27,000 new trees and build 550 new shade structures under a $60 million plan to combat extreme temperaturesIn 2024, Phoenix City Council planned to plant over 27,000 new trees and build 550 new shade structures under a $60 million plan to combat ...
In 2023, researchers found shade cooled Singapore streets by 0.8°C across 20 sites. Today, vegetation is estimated to save 228 GWh of energy yearlySingapore's trees offer significant cooling benefits for city streets. Shaded areas were found to be cooler, reducing heat stress for peopl...
Philadelphia painted black pavement with a light-coloured coating to fight extreme heat. A year later, researchers found one clear differenceTo tackle urban heat island effects, Philadelphia is trialing cool pavement solutions. In Hunting Park, a reflective light-colored coating ...
In 2024, scientists tested a zigzag-shaped wall prototype; it was up to 3.1°C cooler than a conventional radiative-cooling wall in outdoor testsEngineers have created a groundbreaking zigzag wall that cools itself through a unique design. This structure lowers its temperature by dir...
Over 2 years, across Miami-Dade, more than 9,000 trees reveal a hidden journey of heat: Mature canopies can pull temperatures down by 10°F, turning scorching streets into cooler urban spaces for residentsTrees offer significant cooling benefits to urban areas. FIU researchers found that tree canopy coverage can reduce temperatures by ten deg...
A road in Surrey could soon send its summer heat 100 metres beneath the surface, store it underground and bring it back during winter, turning geothermal energy into a defense against potholesWhat if roads could store summer heat and use it to prevent winter damage? A University of Surrey trial is exploring exactly that. Its geot...
Morocco swapped scorching black asphalt for porous “sponge” pavement; the experimental surface ran up to 16°F cooler, offering cities a surprising new way to beat urban heatMorocco is testing permeable “sponge” pavement in selected urban areas of Marrakech and Agadir as cities look for ways to manage extreme he...
In 2011, New York tried a simple way to beat peak summer heat by painting rooftops white; here’s how it helped cool citiesIn a proactive initiative starting in 2011, volunteers in New York City painted rooftops white to tackle the challenges of urban heat. This...
In 2019, scientists tested a diaper-like superabsorbent polymer in lab-made asphalt samples; the water-storing material cooled the specimens by up to 12°CResearchers from China have pioneered a groundbreaking asphalt composite integrated with superabsorbent polymers aimed at cooling city envi...
Rooftop rainwater could help cities stay cooler and cut heatwave days, study findsCollecting rainwater and spraying it on rooftops may cool cities during heatwaves. This system uses evaporative cooling to lower roof tempe...
In 1998, an Arizona man secretly cut holes through Tucson’s street curbs to steal stormwater; the illegal experiment eventually changed city policyIn Tucson, Arizona, Brad Lancaster took a bold step by illegally cutting curbs to harness rainwater, turning a lifeless alley into a flouri...
Millions of Americans crank a fan when the heat spikes, but the CDC and EPA warn that above the mid-90s, a fan stops cooling you and can actually push your body temperature upElectric fans offer limited relief when indoor temperatures exceed ninety degrees Fahrenheit. Above ninety-five degrees, fans can actually ...