Regardless of how we’re setting the thermostat during this blazing Texas summer, it’s a fair assumption that probably no one in Dallas-Fort Worth is walking around outdoors barefoot these days. It’s a scorcher — July 4, 2023, was the hottest day on Earth in recorded history.
In an effort to provide some relief, the City of Dallas has joined a multi-year project to use reflective roofs and pavements, green roofs, solar energy, porous pavements, rain gardens, and trees for new construction and rehab projects. Opportunities are identified through Smart Surfaces’ mapping, modeling, and quantification technology, specific to each member city, spokeswoman Iona Isachsen told daltxrealestate.com.
Dallas, Baltimore, Boston, Columbia, S.C., and New Orleans are the first five major cities to join Smart Surfaces Coalition, billed as a cost-effective solution to reduce the urban heat island index.
“An investment in Smart Surfaces is a win for Dallas residents,” Mayor Eric Johnson said in a press release. “Leveraging this intelligent and cost-effective technology will cool our neighborhoods during hot Texas summers, reduce residents’ energy expenses, and minimize the impact of flash-flooding events.”
Smart Surfaces in Dallas
So how does this work and how much does it cost?
Good questions — ones that are not answered in the City of Dallas press release.
Martin Witchger, a spokesman for Smart Surfaces, told daltxrealestate.com it was free for Dallas to join.
“Waverley Street Foundation and The JPB Foundation are funding the Smart Surfaces Coalition in deploying its three-year Cities for Smart Surfaces Project – for up to 10 cities, five of which have signed on so far,” Witchger said. “We expect to fill out the 10-city roster soon. The coalition’s team of public health, data analytics, environmental justice, energy efficiency, and climate policy experts will assist cities in reaching our common goals for improving residents’ health and well-being.”
A “cost-benefit analytic engine that allows cities to determine the costs and benefits of Smart Surfaces adoption” is available on the Smart Surfaces website, along with a downloadable white paper that shows how cities save money when they implement cooling infrastructure and tech solutions.
Ryan McCuaig, a software developer with Vancouver-based Open Technologies, said cities built with an “urban resilience model” can better absorb, recover from, and prepare for natural disasters. The cost savings equates to about $2.1 billion over a 40-year period for a single urban city, McCuaig said.
Carlos Evans, director of the Dallas Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability, could not immediately be reached for comment but spoke about the city’s partnership in a press release.
“Extreme heat kills more people in the U.S. than any other weather event,” Evans said. “Dallas will continue to experience extreme heat events, so it’s imperative we do all we can to find achievable ways to cool our city.”
Planning For The Future
Because the Dallas City Council didn’t have to approve a massive expenditure, we don’t get the benefit of hearing a discussion about the merits of the program. It appears the initiative functions a little bit like a comprehensive land use plan does for future development.
Dallas already has a Comprehensive Environmental & Climate Action Plan that is referenced when elected officials make decisions about things like electric vehicles or industrial plants. It’s a guide or a road map that can influence a decision but not necessarily seal an approval or denial.
“Initiatives like the Smart Surfaces Coalition serve the City’s overall Climate Action Plan goal to reduce the urban heat index by 20 percent, 50 percent, and 75 percent, by 2030, 2040, and 2050, respectively,” the city press release states.
The Smart Surfaces Coalition helps cities secure project funding with “a particular emphasis on garnering funding to help enhance climate mitigation technology for low-income neighborhoods,” said Smart Surfaces Coalition founder and CEO Greg Kats.
“When cities embrace Smart Surfaces — from rooftops to roads — residents win,” Kats said.
