Cool Communities

The Georgia Concrete and Products Association has been actively supporting Cool Communities for several years. Cool Communities is a "Smart Growth" approach to development that incorporates common sense design principles based on research from NASA, EPA, DOE, leading academic institutions, and the U. S. Green Building Council. Cool Communities is an innovative and cost effective sustainable design strategy that can help to improve air and water quality and reduce energy costs for cooling.

The Cool Communities design strategy for reducing the effects of the Urban Heat Island has three main elements:

• Lighter colored paving materials such as concrete for roads and parking lots.
• Lighter colored roofing materials to reflect rather than absorb heat.
• More extensive tree planting and protection for cooling shade and evapo-transpiration
  

GC&PA support for Cool Communities has produced outstanding results and recognition from numerous public and private agencies all over the Southeast. Some of the highlights of the campaign include:

• Published articles and editorials in industry and trade magazines such as The Georgia Engineer, Georgia Trend, and Georgia Planners Association Newsletter.
• Participation in numerous trade shows all over Georgia
• Presentations to diverse groups ranging from professional engineers and architects, to Mayors, planning directors, environmentalists, and transportation officials
• A stand alone web site www.coolcommunities.org
• Commendation and support from NASA, EPA, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, Georgia Power Company and others
  

Members of GC&PA have been very supportive and enthusiastic about Cool Communities and the benefits of smart growth design principles. The Cool Communities design principles generally aim for the built environment to mimic the natural environment in terms of heat and hydrology.

Much of the Cool Communities program is organized around promoting the environmental benefits of concrete and pervious concrete to mitigate the effects of the Urban Heat Island. Pervious or porous concrete paving is designed to reduce storm water runoff and help restore a normal hydrologic cycle. These concrete applications can help improve water quality, reduce excess urban heat, and support a more sustainable design strategy.

In addition to the public affairs and public relations value of better design approaches, this program gives our industry an opportunity to create alliances with environmental groups, regulators, policy-makers, smart growth organizations and similar groups. It is our expectation that this effort will also help specifiers choose concrete, especially in applications for paving and surface parking. Cool Communities not only enhances the image of concrete, it can also increase market share for paving applications.

The Georgia Director for the Cool Communities program is Lucie Griggs. She can be reached at (706) 295-7540. You may also contact Gordon Kenna at GC&PA (770) 621-9324 to schedule a Cool Communities presentation program in your area. Visit the Cool Communities website for more specific information about Georgia activities.