How Google’s new AI tool helps cities deal with extreme heat

Fourteen cities are piloting a new tool that helps calculate how much planting trees and adding ‘cool roofs’ can reduce urban temperatures.

On a hot day in Miami, some neighborhoods can be as much as 12 degrees warmer because of what’s called the “urban heat island effect”—the fact that roads, parking lots, buildings, and other infrastructure absorb and release extra heat compared to the natural landscapes of rural areas.

As climate change makes extreme heat more common, Miami is using a new tool from Google to help it calculate how much tree planting and adding “cool roofs”—designed with materials that reflect heat—could help lower future temperatures.