Limited application of reflective surfaces can mitigate urban heat pollution

Abstract Elevated air temperatures in urban neighborhoods due to the Urban Heat Island effect is a form of heat pollution that causes thermal discomfort, higher energy consumption, and deteriorating public health. Mitigation measures can be expensive, with the need to maximize benefits from limited resources. Here we show that significant mitigation can be achieved through a limited application of reflective surfaces. We use a Computational Fluid Dynamics model to resolve the air temperature within a prototypical neighborhood for different wind directions, building configurations, and partial application of reflective surfaces. While reflective surfaces mitigate heat pollution, their effectiveness relative to cost varies with spatial distribution. Although downstream parts experience the highest heat pollution, applying reflective surfaces to the upstream part has a disproportionately higher benefit relative to cost than applying them downstream.