flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Smart Surfaces Coalition will help cities reduce urban heat island effect

Codes and Standards

Smart Surfaces Coalition will help cities reduce urban heat island effect

Surfaces can reflect away heat and help prevent flooding.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | September 11, 2018

Research indicates that most American cities will experience up to five or 10 times as many excessively hot (90+ degrees Fahrenheit) days within a few decades.

To help reduce urban heat, 22 U.S. organizations have launched the Smart Surfaces Coalition. The group’s aim is to help cities to understand how to use advanced surface technologies to reduce heat and prevent flooding.

U.S. cities can cut excess heat days by half, save $700 billion, and create 270,000 new jobs by deploying smart surfaces, according to a news release from the U.S. Green Building Council. “Rapidly rising temperatures are already costing consumers and companies billions in higher energy and health care costs, and making American communities less livable and healthy,” the release says.

Smart surface technologies allow cities to better manage sun radiation and storm water runoff through:

— Cool roofs and pavements that reflect away (instead of absorbing) sunlight—cutting temperatures and smog

— Green roofs and trees that provide shade and reduce flood risk

— Solar PV that converts sunshine into electricity and provides shade

— Porous pavements, sidewalks, and roads that reduce water runoff and flooding and cut the cost of managing storm water

Related Stories

| Sep 1, 2011

Project Aims to Automate Code Compliance Assessment

FIATECH, a consortium of owners from the industrial, power, and retail markets that build large structures, launched a project this year to validate the use of automation technology for code compliance assessment, and to accelerate the regulatory approval process using building models. Long-term objectives include the development of an extensive, open-source rule set library that is approved by industry and regulatory bodies for use by technology developers and code officials.

| Sep 1, 2011

EPA Says Additional Lead Paint Cleaning Rules Not Necessary

The EPA has concluded that current Lead: Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program (LRRP) cleaning requirements and lead-safe work regulations are sufficient to protect the public from lead dust hazards. “Our members have been instrumental in contacting legislators to detail the detrimental impact of the current LRRP," says Richard Walker, American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s president and CEO. “This collective industry voice has prompted the EPA to make the responsible decision to refrain from adding further, unnecessary costs to homeowners under the current economic climate."http://www.aamanet.org/news/1/10/0/all/603/aama-commends-its-members-congress-for-vacating-lrrp-clearance-rule

| Aug 11, 2010

Best AEC Firms of 2011/12

Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Resiliency

U.S. is reducing floodplain development in most areas

The perception that the U.S. has not been able to curb development in flood-prone areas is mostly inaccurate, according to new research from climate adaptation experts. A national survey of floodplain development between 2001 and 2019 found that fewer structures were built in floodplains than might be expected if cities were building at random.



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021

Â