Smart Surfaces Coalition Decision Support Tool (DST)
About the Tool:
The Decision Support Tool (DST) is a geospatial analysis tool designed to support Smart Surfaces policy and planning at the city and metropolitan area levels. The DST was developed by the Trust for Public Land in collaboration with Smart Surfaces Coalition, World Resources Institute, and Altostratus, Inc.
The tool contains data layers on existing surface infrastructure (roofs, roads, parking lots, tree canopy, etc), health vulnerability statistics, socioeconomic data, race/ethnicity data, heat mapping, flooding vulnerability, results from micrometeorological heat modeling of Smart Surfaces’ impact on air temperature, and more. The tool features a query function designed to support planning and investment prioritization, enabling users to identify census tracts and neighborhoods with the greatest hazard vulnerability and potential for surface infrastructure transformation. For example, a user could input a query that identifies the neighborhoods with the highest air and surface temperatures, the least tree canopy, and the highest rates of asthma and cardiovascular disease.
The DST can be used to support city plans, policies, and grant applications and to aid in communication between city staff, policymakers, and the public.