Phoenix installed nine temporary shade structures across nine parks between April and October 2025 under ¡Sombra! Experiments in Shade, a citywide project that combined public art with heat-mitigation experiments. The initiative received $1 million from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge and involved more than 65 local organisations and businesses.
The city used the installations to test different materials, designs and cooling methods as Phoenix continues to face extreme summer temperatures. The Office of Heat Response and Mitigation and Arizona State University's MaRTY portable weather station measured the cooling effects.
Shade lowered surface temperatures by up to 46°F
The shade installations lowered surface temperatures by as much as 46°F across the project sites. They also reduced mean radiant temperatures by 30°F to 40°F, which can reduce the amount of heat people experience from surrounding surfaces and direct radiation.
At Cielito Park, the project went a step further by adding solar-powered misters to the shade installation designed by artists Jose Benavides and Joe Ray. When workers switched on the misters, the system lowered the ambient air temperature by an additional 10°F.
The experiment also allowed Phoenix to compare different materials. At Sunnyslope Park, a polyester-spandex fabric delivered strong cooling but struggled with durability. At Cielito Park, acrylic fibre proved more resilient.
Phoenix also tested new ways to install temporary shade
The project tested more than fabrics and cooling systems. Artists used ground screws and diamond piers to anchor the structures without permanent foundations, allowing the city to install and remove temporary shade structures more easily. Phoenix said these methods could also help inform future city projects.
The installations also served as community spaces. Local groups participated in projects involving art, food, dance, bioplastics and ceramics, giving the heat-mitigation experiment a cultural component alongside its practical purpose.
Phoenix plans more shade structures
The experiment forms part of Phoenix's wider Shade Phoenix initiative, which aims to install 550 new shade structures by 2030. City officials said the temporary installations helped identify materials and designs that could work for longer-term heat mitigation.
David Hondula, director of the city's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, said the structures were temporary but the lessons from the experiment could remain useful. Phoenix is now considering how it can turn the ideas tested through ¡Sombra! into permanent, artist-designed shade structures.
