But be it greenery, architecture or reflective surfaces, these changes come at a cost, one many of the world’s most heat-exposed countries simply can’t afford, says Santamouris.
The future of fighting heat
Heat is ultimately a personal problem. It affects you differently depending on your age, where you live, what preexisting conditions you may have, and how you go about your day.
The next wave of heat mitigation may depend less on fixing a city or planting trees, and more on providing people with their own personalized warnings and forecasts.
“I don’t think we’re far off from the day when your Google Maps actually has a shade layer,” says Turner, that conjures walking routes away from the sun, adjusting for the time of day. Her own team has already mapped shade across 360 U.S. cities and towns. She also envisions a personalized weather app that swaps blanket heat alerts for more customized warnings based on your demographic and health risks.
Innovation in materials is also moving forward. Santamouris describes cutting-edge cooling surfaces still in the experimental phase that not only reflect sunlight but absorb water overnight and then evaporate it during the day.