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Raleigh sustainability officer urges more tree canopy, cool pavement and native plants to fight extreme heat
Summary
Megan Anderson, Raleigh's sustainability officer, described rising extreme heat—including an expected tripling of 90°F days over 30 years—and said expanding the urban tree canopy, planting native drought-tolerant species, and testing cool pavement are key city strategies.
Megan Anderson, Raleigh’s sustainability officer, said the city is seeing unprecedented extreme heat and that officials must design streets and public spaces to keep people safer when temperatures spike. "We expect in the next 30 years for the amount of days that we experience over 90 degrees to triple," she said, framing long-term urgency for cooling measures.
Anderson highlighted a suite of co-benefits from tree canopy and green infrastructure: trees lower temperatures, improve stormwater infiltration and reduce pressure on drainage systems, and native plants are more drought-resilient and require less irrigation. She also mentioned exploring cool-pavement technologies and redesigning public spaces to allow quicker nighttime cooling in neighborhoods that otherwise retain heat.
Anderson urged residents to consult the Raleigh Climate Action Plan and the city's sustainable business and neighborhood toolkits for practical steps and resources to help with both heat and drought resilience.
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