What feature can mitigate the effects of the urban heat island effect?

Green roofs effectively mitigate the urban heat island effect by providing a layer of vegetation on building rooftops. This vegetation helps to absorb sunlight, reducing the surface temperature of the roof compared to traditional materials like asphalt or concrete. In addition, green roofs contribute to cooling through the process of evapotranspiration, where plants release moisture into the air, further lowering ambient temperatures. This not only cools the building itself, reducing energy use for air conditioning, but also helps to lower the overall temperature of the surrounding urban environment. By increasing greenery in urban areas, green roofs can significantly reduce heat accumulation in cities, leading to a more comfortable urban climate.

Other options such as dense shrubbery and solid walls can also play a role in cooling urban spaces but are not as effective as green roofs in directly counteracting the heat retention that characterizes urban heat islands. Thin glass structures may actually contribute to the heat island effect by allowing more sunlight to enter buildings and create heat without offering a cooling solution.