Cooling pavements in Phoenix could come with an unexpected drawback

Phoenix coated 200 miles of roads with the light-colored CoolSeal sealant: asphalt temperature drops by 10–12 °F, but reflected heat raises the perceived temperature at pedestrian level by about 7 °F. Researchers advise using the coating on roads with low pedestrian traffic and unshaded parking lots.

• CoolSeal covered 200 miles of roads in Phoenix
• Asphalt surface cools by 10–12 °F during the day
• Perceived temperature above the coating is ~7 °F higher
• Coating is more effective on roads without pedestrians and parking lots