The asphalt industry has a heat problem — and cities are running out of patience
Cities across the U.S. are exploring alternatives to traditional asphalt parking lots to combat heat and manage stormwater runoff. Initiatives include using permeable paving, bioretention gardens, and reducing parking space requirements. These changes aim to mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve environmental sustainability.
- ▪The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission replaced its asphalt parking lot with porous concrete panels and native plants.
- ▪Cities like New Orleans and Indianapolis are implementing permeable paving and bioretention gardens in their parking lots.
- ▪Many cities are reducing regulations on minimum parking spaces to decrease impervious surfaces.
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At the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission headquarters in Virginia, staff knew their crumbling asphalt parking lot was in desperate need of repair. But instead of replacing the lot with more dark blacktop, the group chose an alternative.Recommended Video The new parking lot, completed last year, includes porous concrete panels and areas with native plants and recycled materials to make the lot cooler and less prone to flooding. With the new panels, “the rain infiltrates faster than it can puddle and stop on the surface,” said Jill Sunderland, the commission’s senior water resources planner. “You notice too, that it’s cooler,” Sunderland added.
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