New ‘Cool Kit’ launched to help Richmond cope with extreme heat

RICHMOND, Va (WRIC) -- Mayor Danny Avula announced the launch of the new Richmond "Cool Kit" -- a heat mitigation strategy -- while the city copes with a heat wave.

The "Cool Kit" is a toolkit that outlines 25 strategies designed to reduce dangerous surface temperatures and promote climate resilience, according to a June 25 press release from the city's Office of Sustainability.

"As a public health practitioner, I know that extreme heat poses a real threat to our daily lives," Avula said. "Extreme heat is deadlier than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined, and the impacts are disproportionately felt across our City. The Richmond Cool Kit gives us the tools to address our climate challenges head-on, protecting lives and saving taxpayer dollars through sustainable design."

Richmond is currently facing a public health emergency due to the heatwave that's impacting Central Virginia.

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Recent studies point to urban areas being affected the most, with 40% of heat-related emergency medical responses occurring within 100 meters of transit stops.

These are the 25 cooling strategies featured in the Cool Kit, which are broken down into four main points:

• Urban Greening: Including street trees, reforestation, bioretention systems, mini-parks and water features that provide both shade and evapotranspiration cooling effects.
• Shade Solutions: From lightweight shade sails and canopies for immediate relief to permanent shade structures and strategic building design for long-term protection.
• Smart Surfaces: Cool roof technologies, light-colored pavements and heat-resistant materials that reflect rather than absorb solar radiation, reducing surface temperatures by up to 50-70 degrees.
• Depaving: Strategic removal and replacement of unnecessary impervious surfaces with green infrastructure, as demonstrated by the Science Museum of Virginia's successful conversion of a 381-space parking lot into a 2-acre public park.

The Cool Kit also includes plans to address inequities within historically redlined neighborhoods, as extreme heat disproportionately impacts low-income and minority communities.

"Cooling down communities is not only a chance to right past wrongs -- it means fostering better long-term health outcomes and building climate resilience for future generations," Avula said.

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There are also projected economic growth opportunities noted within the Cool Kit, specifically in minority communities.

For more information about the Richmond Cool Kit and to access the complete toolkit, click here.