Environment

Tokyo Introduces Cool Pavements to Combat Heat Island Effect

Cool pavements in Tokyo that reduce road temperatures by up to 10°C are part of the city's effort to curb the heat island effect and lower heatstroke incidents.

Published

1 month ago

August 2, 2024

The Sankei Shimbun

Roads paved with temperature suppressing pavement, July 18, 2024 in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. (©Sankei)

Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth - Tokyo Introduces Cool Pavements to Combat Heat Island Effect

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) is working to address the heat island effect. As of the end of fiscal year 2023, TMG has laid approximately 190 kilometers of cool pavements – reflective and water retaining pavements that curb road surface temperatures. The plan for 2024 is to apply heat-reducing pavement to an additional 10 kilometers of the city's roads. TMG aims to have a total of 245 kilometers of metropolitan roads paved by 2030.

Curbing Road Surface Temps

These two types of pavements are part of the city's measures to address the heat island effect. TMG began laying them in 2005 mainly in Tokyo's "center core area," or the area inside the Metropolitan Expressway Central Circular Route. The cost of the pavements runs about 30% higher than conventional road cover. But they can reportedly suppress rises in road surface temperature by up to 8 to 10 degrees Celsius.

Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to read more about how cooling pavements could reduce the incidence of heatstrokes on roads.

And find more great articles on the environment and the challenges of achieving the SDGs on our affiliated website Japan 2 Earth (J2E), sparking a transition to a sustainable future.

(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: Sankei Shimbun