Heat Island Mitigation

Practices to reduce the heat island effect result in cooler temperatures on-site and in the surrounding community, contributing to reduced heat-related illnesses and supporting social equity for vulnerable populations.

Key Terms

• The Heat Island Effect is the trapping of heat within densely developed roads, buildings, and other impermeable infrastructure, creating an "island" of higher temperatures and retained heat at and near the surface.

For full strategy and documentation requirements, please refer to the digital scorecard made available on the Fitwel Platform.

Strategy Insights

• To determine the full area of a project, you must total all surface area, including vertical walls and roofs as part of the equation. 
• Documentation must provide additional detail about the mitigation practices implemented within the project. 
  • For example, if using “heat-resistant construction materials,” additional detail is required to make a determination that these materials mitigate heat compared to conventional building materials.