Scottsdale is Beating the Heat by Going Green.

Unlike many cities of its size with their dirty air, water, and streets, the residents of Scottsdale, Arizona are focused on keeping their skies blue, their water clean and their streets spotless. What does it take to get that done?

The city of Scottsdale is working with the Scottsdale Environmental Advisory Commission in hopes of achieving one strategic goal, seeking sustainability. The city has also partnered with the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service at Arizona State University to resolve Urban Heat Island Effect issues. The contract focuses on researching and developing sustainability policies and plans for heat mitigation strategies for the city. Fixing these issues includes creating a development plan that creates more shade, and cooling affects. The city is utilizing tree canopies and building infrastructure to reduce the ground temperature.

Bill Campbell, Senior Project Manager of the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solution Service, said “They know it is hot and they know it is going to get hotter, they don’t need ASU to tell them it’s hot. They need ASU to tell them what the strategies are. That we can help them identify the ways for it to be more livable and cooler.” The faculty supporting this project, David Hondula, Jennifer Vanos, and David Sailor, are from units within ASU called the Urban Climate Research Center. They are currently focusing on using infrastructure as a strategy for heat mitigation, identifying hot spots and suggesting forms of structural shade, along with construction regulations that could help prepare new buildings for a hotter climate.

Scottsdale officials are also active participants in the ASU Sustainable Cities Network which promotes Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure projects. One example of this is a storm water treatment method that the city uses to harvest the rain water and irrigate the trees. The method also cleanses the water before it goes into the aquafer. Anthony Floyd, the Green Program Building Manager, said “We are working to make some amendments compatible with Scottsdale and our desert environment. This would include solar on all new projects, a certain percentage of renewable energy on all new projects, as well as on-sight electric vehicle charging infrastructure for, both, commercial and residential.”

Tim Conner, manager of the Office of Environmental Initiative, said “We have one of the best green building programs in the state, if not west of the Mississippi.” The Green Building Program encourages a whole-systems approach through design and building techniques to minimize environmental impact and reduce the energy consumption of buildings while contributing to the health of its occupants.

Since 2005, Scottsdale has had a green building lead gold standard for all of the city buildings. The gold standard is a way to maximize development of infrastructure to also benefit the environment. For example, building infrastructure to maximize shade and reduce climate impact. Reaching the “gold standard” means that a community is fully maximizing their resources to benefit the environment in different ways.

Scottsdale has adopted the International Green Construction Code for commercial buildings in their green building program to ensure that buildings follow and maintain gold level standards. Floyd said, “We want to set a goal for the overall community, including city facilities, so that we can reach a realistic goal. I know that there are a lot of targets out there that cities have: Phoenix, Chicago, LA, New York. Generally, it is 2050 and this has a lot to do with climate change and greenhouse gasses that are admitted. We’re looking at some targets that will be sooner.”

The city is working hand-in-hand with other cities, including Phoenix and Tucson, to create as much sustainability as possible. They work collectively to maximize the improvements. Conner said, “If somebody has already done something, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, it’s more of adapting it to your own community. That’s the same that most valley cities are looking at as well, they’re not trying to be pioneers to the point that they’re out on the cutting edge and bleeding edge of the razor.” The cities do not see the development of sustainability as a competition, rather, as a group effort to protect and save the earth we all share.