Equity

Decades of underinvestment in Smart Surfaces in low-income communities and communities of color have made these areas hotter, more prone to flooding, and less livable.

The Smart Surfaces Coalition is committed to realizing a world where no community bears the disproportionate burden of extreme heat, poor air quality, flooding, high energy bills, and reduced livability caused by overabundant dark, impervious surfaces.

Objectivity

The reason cities have historically invested in dark, impervious surfaces rather than Smart Surfaces is due not to lack of political will, but rather because city departments have lacked the expertise, authority, and tools to quantify and understand the costs and benefits of Smart Surfaces. As a result, cities have consistently undervalued Smart Surfaces.

The Smart Surfaces Coalition fills this gap with rigorous, data-driven insights and customized tools that enable cities to make the most cost-effective decisions.

Impact

With each year that the status quo of dark, impervious surfaces continues, cities waste billions of dollars, accelerate climate change, and reaffirm unnecessary human suffering.

The Smart Surfaces Coalition is committed to rapid, global adoption because Smart Surfaces are the only cost-effective, technically feasible tool we have that can cool our cities at scale—and in doing so it can create jobs, combat climate change, improve public health, enhance livability, and advance equity.