Google Research is expanding AI tools aimed at helping cities reduce extreme heat, as the urban heat island effect continues to push temperatures higher in metropolitan areas. The company says its Heat Resilience tools use high-resolution satellite and aerial imagery to measure rooftop reflectivity and identify where cool roofs could have the biggest impact.
Extreme heat is associated with approximately 500,000 deaths every year, and the source notes that urban areas warm at double the worldwide average. Earlier this month, record-breaking heat waves across Western Europe pushed temperatures past 40°C (104°F). Heat-trapping materials such as dark pavements and roofs, along with limited vegetation, are described as major drivers of this warming.
Google Research said it piloted the approach with 14 cities in 2024, providing rooftop reflectivity data to help identify vulnerable neighbourhoods and areas where cool roofs could reduce temperatures most effectively. The company said that information supported decisions in several cities, including cool roof ordinances and adaptation plans.
Now, Google Research is publishing new work in Nature Communications titled “Estimating high-resolution albedo for urban applications”. The research explains a method for mapping building-level reflectivity across different urban environments and is intended to connect broader climate observations with data that cities can use directly.
Alongside the paper, Google Research is releasing an expanded albedo dataset covering over 50 global cities. The dataset is available through its new high-resolution Heat Resilience Earth Engine App. For cities and planners, the update means more detailed data for deciding where cool-roof interventions may be most useful.
Source: research.google.
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