Cooling Goo Sidewalks and Other Strange New Weapons In the War on Urban Heat (The Guardian)

As featured by The Guardian:

Los Angeles can sometimes feel like a sprawling hellscape of heat: in the northern valleys and the southern city, metal playground equipment, car steering wheels, even the ground itself effectively become weaponized.

The more than 300 days of sunshine a year that for generations have made LA such an attractive place to live and visit are becoming a grave liability due to the climate crisis.

Few city projects have inspired as much apparent excitement as the pools of titanium dioxide-infused goo that Los Angeles has been spreading on its asphalt.

“When we’re applying it, people come out and ask what we’re doing,” said Greg Spotts, assistant director of the Bureau of Street Services. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the LA Bureau of Street Services is hoping the reflective Cool Seal coating will reduce extreme heat in some of the city’s hottest neighborhoods. “Separate from the discussion about global warming, Angelenos’ experience is that their neighborhoods are getting hotter,” said Spotts.

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This article was originally published by The Guardian. Read the full article here.