08/19/2026
See how Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Fulton Professor of Hydrosystems Engineering Enrique Vivoni and other researchers with the ASU Center for Hydrologic Innovations use data from observation sites around the Valley to see what works to cool cities.
Their research shows how irrigated landscapes respond as temperatures and seasons change , giving researchers, policymakers and communities a clearer picture of what works.
“Phoenix is America’s hottest city and conditions are worsening over time. This basic research helps us understand how different urban land covers affect the heat affecting our communities,” says Vivoni, director of the Center for Hydrologic Innovations.
The team's findings could help shape how Arizona adapts to a hotter future while balancing the need for cooler cities.
“From this baseline, we can engineer improved outdoor environments that use our limited water to maximize cooling benefits," says Vivoni, a professor at the ASU School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. "The innovations developed and tested here in Phoenix will be vital to other regions as heat worsens globally.”
“Phoenix is a very heterogeneous city, like most metropolitan areas, so we need to understand how different types of land cover influence heat. That data can help people develop strategies and ways to cope with the heat,” says Nidia E. Rojas-Robles, a research assistant professor in the ASU School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment.
Surrounded by grass, mature trees and residential neighborhoods, the Encanto site provides researchers with a contrast to Phoenix’s hotter, more developed areas.
“Because of the vegetation and the surrounding residential neighborhoods, the energy balance is proportioned,” Rojas-Robles says. “It’s noticeably cooler in this location than the other two sites.” https://ow.ly/Jipc50ZBxm2💧
