But there might be a simple, potentially inexpensive way to put a chill on urban heat: retroreflectors. Tall buildings, dark roofs, asphalt and concrete absorb the sun’s rays and reflect its energy back into the environment as heat – the so-called urban heat island effect. Urban designers have started to implement simple solutions to counteract the urban heat phenomenon, including painting roads white, planting more trees and building green roofs. Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesBou-Zeid said retroreflective material could be developed as sheets or coatings to install on city surfaces. Instead, “a multi-technology cooling portfolio with cooling techniques tailored to localized conditions is required to combat the exacerbating urban heat stress globally.”

---

Persons: CNN — Summers, Elie Bou, ”, “, They’re, Joe Sohm, Zeid, Xinjie Huang, ” Huang Organizations: CNN, Princeton University, “, America, Princeton Locations: Netherlands, Italy, ” Bou, Los Angeles