Sustainability Language

Energy & Transition

Cool pavement

Paving materials engineered to stay cooler than conventional asphalt, by reflecting more sunlight or retaining and evaporating water, reducing urban heat.

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Definition

Cool pavements are road and pavement surfaces designed to remain cooler than conventional dark asphalt, either through higher solar reflectance (lighter colours or reflective coatings), evaporative cooling (permeable materials that hold water), or enhanced thermal properties. The US EPA reports conventional asphalt can reach around 152°F (67°C) in summer, while cool pavements can run 10–16°F cooler; no single official standard yet governs the category.

References

Overview

What it means

A surface-level intervention against the urban heat-island effect that also reduces stormwater temperature and can extend pavement life.

How it is used

Municipalities trial reflective coatings and permeable pavements in heat-vulnerable neighbourhoods; performance is characterised by solar reflectance and thermal emittance on 0–1 scales.

Why it matters

Extreme urban heat is a growing public-health risk; cool pavements are a scalable adaptation measure, though trade-offs (glare, reflected heat onto pedestrians) remain under study.

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