Feature
The city that painted its streets white
Reflective coatings lowered surface temperatures by up to 10°C. Residents are divided about the glare.
Cities & climate reporter
7 min read
A street treated with reflective coating in June.
Last summer, workers covered 40 kilometres of streets in a pale grey coating that reflects sunlight instead of absorbing it. On hot afternoons, the treated asphalt is up to 10°C cooler than untreated roads nearby.
Not everyone is convinced.
Cooler, but brighter
Some residents say the reflected light makes sidewalks uncomfortably bright at midday. Researchers are studying whether reflected heat raises temperatures on nearby walls.
“It is not a silver bullet. It is one tool, and it works best with trees,” the city’s climate officer said.
The city plans to combine the coating with 5,000 new street trees by 2028.
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Priya Raman
Cities & climate reporter
Priya reports on cities, heat and the infrastructure we will need to live with both.
