Cooling Down Chicago: How Green and Cool Roofs Could Impact Urban Climate
Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - 10:40
in Earth & Climate
An urban heat island causes areas like Chicago to be significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas, which threatens urban sustainability. Newly published University of Notre Dame research found that roofs with vegetation or reflective surfaces on top of Chicago's current infrastructure could reduce lower roof temperatures by a range of 3 to 4 degrees Celsius (5.4 to 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit).