In 2024, a group of engineers in Singapore tested a solution to a problem many urban areas face: hot roadways and buildings that trap and store heat throughout the afternoon. The team created a coating to reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption, and tested it on the roof, walls, and roadways of a single industrial block. They then left the neighboring industrial block alone as the control group and took temperature readings after two months. According to Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore , afternoon air temperature at the experimental site was up to 2 degrees C cooler than at the uncoated counterpart. Pedestrians on the ground also felt up to 1.5 degrees C cooler.
Why the researchers tested a full city block
