Mayors Join Coalition to Combat Urban Heat, Other Climate Risks

Five US mayors Thursday will launch a national multiyear project to help combat rising temperatures and flooding—made worse by climate change—that pose dire threats to low-income and minority communities.

The announcement brings Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, New Orleans, and Columbia, South Carolina, into the Smart Surfaces Coalition, formed four years ago and now including more than 40 public health, environmental justice, and other groups.

The Smart Surfaces group provides tools for analyzing risks and offering a range of cost-effective solutions cities can use to mitigate increased flooding and the emergence of heat “islands"—urban areas as much ...