The title is the question.
Maybe it’s the cheapest thing with the right properties, but can’t it be painted with something a little more reflective, that won’t absorbe so much heat from the sun?
In: Technology
The simple answer is cost.
Straight-up black asphalt is not even cheaper over the long run, just up-front, and most cities (especially in the US) don’t have the budget and luxury to think over the long run. (and *especially* about experimental stuff like reflective additives)
In newer cities in the US the streets are concrete and can be patched with more cement, but even in some of the upper-middle-class suburbs i return to or visit I’ve noticed that I’m seeing increasingly more black asphalt, not just for patch jobs but also for full re-builds. High construction costs come for us all.
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