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Committee hears urban heat presentation; staff outlines mapping, tree canopy targets and pilot ideas
Summary
Alex presented thermal imagery and mapping plans showing heat hotspots near Farmers Branch, described LIDAR tree-canopy mapping and citizen-science sensor runs, and discussed potential pilots (cool pavement, targeted tree planting) to reduce urban temperatures.
The Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee received a detailed presentation on urban heat islands and mitigation strategies, led by Alex (presenter, staff), who showed satellite and thermal imagery and described tools the city may use to target tree plantings and pilot cooling projects.
Alex showed NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory satellite morning-temperature imagery for the DFW area and thermal images demonstrating surface-temperature differences between light- and dark-colored surfaces. "It's hotter in cities because of the materials that cities are made with," Alex said, noting that dark roofs and asphalt can register many degrees hotter than lighter materials and shaded areas. Alex described surface-temperature examples where lighter surfaces were roughly 9—1010 degrees cooler on the same day and explained how impervious surfaces and roadway corridors create heat hotspots near Farmers Branch.
Staff described an effort to produce tree-canopy and impervious-surface maps using LIDAR and GIS; Alex said those maps will be used to prioritize neighborhoods with low canopy for future plantings and outreach. He also raised citizen-science options and a potential National Geographic/NOAA grant to deploy sensors on volunteer vehicles across morning, midday and evening shifts to build finer-resolution heat maps.
Committee members asked about code and incentive options for permeable surfaces, whether parks select planting sites based on irrigation availability, and if the city could pilot cool-seal pavement or permeable materials on a demonstration site (pickleball court and parking-lot examples were discussed). Alex said staff would seek data-driven pilot opportunities and bring mapping outputs to the next meeting if available.
Members also noted Farmers Branch's longtime Tree City designation; Alex said the city has been a Tree City for about 40 years. The presentation concluded with staff offering to return with maps and pilot recommendations for committee review.
