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Through partnerships with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Smart Surfaces Coalition, SCPHA's Smart Surfaces team is educating and advocating for innovative solutions like rain gardens, solar panels, and porous pavements in Columbia's urban areas. To garner support, these efforts were showcased at the SCPHA Annual 2024 Conference in Myrtle Beach. Our initiatives are expected to yield significant outcomes, including increased green space, improved urban planning, heightened public awareness, and the cultivation of more Smart Surfaces. Through collaboration with partners such as the Smart Surfaces Coalition, the City of Columbia, and academic institutions, SCPHA is working towards a cooler, more sustainable urban environment. SCPHA Smart Surfaces Core Team Information
Partners
What are Smart Surfaces?
Click through the slideshow to learn more. Smart Surfaces Fact SheetsOUTREACHSCPHA 2024 Annual Conference
To address extreme heat, the Smart Surfaces Team provided protective gear for 400 participants for the SCPHA Annual Conference: sunglasses, sunscreen, and mosquito repellant bracelets. SCPHA Focus Groups
The first focus group took place on April 9th at the University of South Carolina Office of Sustainability. Participants discussed cooling strategies, the impact of zoning and urbanization projects on heat, energy cost burdens, and the health effects of heat on the body. The consensus of the focus group was that local and city-level attention should be directed toward addressing the adverse impacts of rising and prolonged temperatures. Beat the Heat – Plant a Tree Campaign
A study by the University of South Carolina and Benedict College revealed that areas in Columbia with less tree canopy experience higher heat levels, leading to a heat island effect. According to a 2022 study by USC and NOAA, there is a 10-degree temperature difference between areas with tree canopies and heat islands. Communities within the City of Columbia with less tree canopy are in the 98th percentile nationally for asthma and respiratory illness. To address extreme heat issues and limited tree canopies, The City of Columbia and Columbia Green have initiated the Beat the Heat - Plant a Tree Campaign. This joint effort aims to plant trees on private property at no cost over the next five years in Columbia. The Campaign began with a luncheon, one of twenty events planned to educate residents on planting and caring for trees on their property. The Smart Surfaces Team provided raffle prizes and shared outreach materials on smart surface methods such as trees, urban meadows, and rain gardens to help manage extreme
Cental Midlands Council of Government awarded Climate Pollution Reduction Grant for Municipal Solar and Smart Surfaces Projects in South Carolina
The Central Midlands Council of Governments in South Carolina has been awarded approximately nine million dollars by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program. This funding will support initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities (EPA, 2024). The projects will include municipal solar and smart surfaces initiatives in the Midlands. The South Carolina Public Health Association has also expressed its support for the CPRG Program and plans to collaborate with the Central Midlands Council of Governments on community engagement and workforce development training for climate-resistant projects.
News Releases
Federal Action Towards Extreme Heat
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The South Carolina Public Health Association (SCPHA) is actively combating the urban heat island effect, as highlighted in the 2022 Heat Watch Report by CAPA Strategies, LLC. This report underscores the urgency of addressing the significant temperature gap of 18.5 degrees between downtown Columbia and its outskirts.
The South Carolina Public Health Association (SCPHA) envisions a cooler Columbia through the Smart Surfaces project. At the SCPHA Annual 2024 Conference, the SCPHA Smart Surfaces Team served as exhibitors, educating attendees about the advantages of smart surfaces for both health and the environment. 
The Smart Surfaces Team at the South Carolina Public Health Association (SCPHA) launched a series of focus groups to tackle the urgent problem of extreme heat in Columbia. Our goal is to explore the firsthand experiences and viewpoints of Columbia residents regarding urban heat islands and their impact on the environment and public health. Furthermore, we aim to gauge residents' knowledge and attitudes toward innovative smart surface solutions like solar panels, rain gardens, and porous pavements, assessing their perceived effectiveness in addressing the challenges presented by extreme heat.
The University of South Carolina found that between 2005 and 2019, tree canopies decreased due to