The Smart Surfaces Coalition has launched a peer learning network to help cities increase climate resilience through “smart surfaces” infrastructure. This initiative, announced on Monday, aims to connect city staff and provide them with valuable resources to implement climate-resilient solutions.
Smart surfaces, as defined by the coalition, include reflective, porous, and green urban surfaces, as well as solar panels and trees. The initiative comes in response to the growing challenges cities face due to climate change. Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to higher temperatures and increased flooding risks because of their built environments. Buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit heat more than natural landscapes, creating urban heat islands. Additionally, large areas of concrete and aging drainage systems impede proper stormwater absorption, exacerbating flood risks.
These smart surfaces can also impact urban lighting, light pollution, and glare. Cool pavement is one smart surface strategy. It is typically a reflective coating applied to existing roadways, pavement, and asphalt. The higher reflectivity reduces the solar radiation absorbed by pavement, lessening the urban heat island effect, and cools the immediate area. However, increasing reflectivity of large surface areas also impacts lighting. The higher reflectivity brightens roadways when illuminated at night, and can permit fewer streetlights, greater spacing, and associated energy savings. Higher reflectivity can also increase light pollution as more light is reflected from the road surfaces. However, increased reflection of headlights and streetlights can also increase glare for drivers, from cool pavement roadways. Glare needs to be considered during the design stage of cool pavement project.
Several cities have already begun implementing smart surface solutions:
- Los Angeles and Phoenix have experimented with cool pavement coatings to reflect heat
- Chicago is revamping its green stormwater infrastructure strategy
- Boston is deploying green roofs on bus shelters
- New York City announced its first large-scale implementation of porous pavement on seven miles of road in Brooklyn.
The peer learning network will begin quarterly meetings in 2025, offering participant cities exclusive access to:
- Curated data
- Model ordinances
- Funding opportunities
- Grant templates
- Product databases
- Lessons from the coalition’s work with other cities
City staff can sign up for the network through the coalition’s website. The Smart Surfaces Coalition boasts over 40 partners, including prominent organizations like the National League of Cities, the American Planning Association, and the American Lung Association. This diverse partnership underscores the importance and broad support for climate-resilient urban infrastructure.
The Smart Surfaces Peer Learning Network is the latest in a series of initiatives by the Smart Surfaces Coalition. In July 2023, the organization partnered with 10 major U.S. cities to facilitate smart surfaces adoption. They also lead the Cool Roadways Partnership, a forum for municipalities and researchers to discuss success stories and best practices for implementing cool pavement technologies.
By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among cities, the Smart Surfaces Coalition aims to accelerate the adoption of climate-resilient infrastructure solutions. This peer learning network represents a significant step towards creating more sustainable and resilient urban environments in the face of ongoing climate challenges.
Learn more here.
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