Cooling Cities Strategies and Technologies to Mitigate Urban Heat

This report analyses the different natural and built environment strategies and technologies for adaptation - "urban greenery, green roofs and walls, water-based technologies, cool roofs, and cool pavements - to help local governments reduce the effect of increased heat on their communities and citizens." The study stresses that "individually, each mitigation strategy can reduce high temperatures in urban areas; together in a citywide adoption, they can drastically reduce the UHI (Urban Heat Island) effect itself while providing many additional co-benefits."

This discussion paper also examines the existing urban heat mitigation policies and interventions, including "government operations themselves, mandatory or incentives for private choices, and public education. Governments face challenges in adapting to urban heat because of the complexity of choices available, limited resources, the need to coordinate among many local agencies, and, in some cases, skepticism about climate change."

Although commissioned by the Australian government, the geographical focus is mainly characterizing the policy recommendations, while the analysis of the available policies, measures, and technologies has a global focus and can be relevant for European countries, in particular, the Southern ones.