Tactic
Adaptation
Limit Exposure to Excess Heat
Reduce excess heat by lowering surface temperatures
Options
...with permeable paving in areas of regular rainfall.
...with a green roof.
...with high-albedo and reflective surface materials (cool roofs, pavements).
...with green parking lots (Grasscrete).
Case Study
As part of Stoss Landscape Urbanism’s update of a 2-acre public plaza at Harvard University, the design team replaced a series of asphalt walkways with light-colored, high-albedo pavers in order to limit thermal gain throughout the site. Light-colored wood was selected for the sculptural seating elements, which stay cool to the touch even in the summer sun.
