New Tech Makes It Easier To Cool Communities Sweltering In Urban Heat Islands

New Tech Makes It Easier To Cool Communities Sweltering In Urban Heat Islands

New Tech Makes It Easier To Cool Communities Sweltering In Urban Heat Islands It’s summer, and it’s been hot, even in northern cities such as Boston. But not everyone is hit with the heat in the same way, even within the same neighborhood. Take two streets in Boston at 4:30 p.m. on a recent day, as an example. Standing in the sun on Lewis Place, the temperature was 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.6 degrees Celsius). On Dudley Common, it was 103 F (39.2 C). Both streets were hot, but the temperature on one was much more dangerous for people’s health and well-being. The kicker is that those two streets are only a few blocks apart. The difference epitomizes the urban heat island effect, created as pavement and buildings absorb and trap heat, making some parts of the city hotter. The shade of a few nearby trees doesn’t keep Dudley Common from heating up several degrees more than neighboring streets. Image courtesy of Dan O'Brien. A closer look at the two streets shows some key differences: Dudley…