Extreme heat has gripped swaths of the U.S. for weeks, and cities are scrambling to keep up with the impacts, which disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color. Even when temperatures eventually drop — which may not happen until next month — urban communities will continue to grapple with the likelihood of a hotter future driven by climate change.

Cities are increasingly considering long-term strategies to cool the built environment. The Smart Surfaces Coalition, which consists of more than 50 partner organizations focused on urban, environmental, health, green building and similar interests, advocates for the widespread adoption of smart surfaces, which include cool roofs and pavement, green roofs, trees, solar panels, porous pavement that reduces flood risk and carbon-sequestering concrete that is more reflective than standard concrete.

It has proven challenging for cities to scale up these surfaces to the point that they make a temperature difference at the neighborhood level, said Victoria Ludwig, program manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s heat island reduction program, at a webinar hosted earlier this month by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Read the full article about smart surfaces by Ysabelle Kempe at Smart Cities Dive.