A new study found that some areas in Charlotte have surfaces that are much hotter than others. The study mapped out Charlotte’s 294,000 roofs, 5,600 lane-miles of city-owned road, and 1,200 acres of parking lots.
Researchers found that Charlotte neighborhoods with more pavement and rooftops are as much as 14 degrees hotter than nearby green spaces, according to the Smart Surfaces Coalition. That’s because those dark surfaces absorb almost all incoming solar radiation and heat up rapidly—as opposed to permeable, green or light-colored surfaces that don’t.
The group reports that adding trees, permeable pavement, stormwater systems and reflective roofs could lower peak summer temperatures by up to almost 7 degrees. These upgrades could also provide $969 million in infrastructure savings, $368 million in public health benefits and $360 million in energy savings for the city.
Smart surfaces could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 8.5 million metric tons and manage billions of gallons of stormwater over the next three decades, making Charlotte more resilient against heat and flooding.
