On December 18, 2024, Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and the Smart Surfaces Coalition launched the Smart Surfaces Policy Tracker. The publicly available tracker provides a database for cities across the country to utilize more than 450 resources related to smart surfaces policy development.
Smart surfaces encompass an array of technologies and design strategies that enhance energy efficiency and resilience in urban environments. The Smart Surfaces Policy Tracker serves as a centralized hub, allowing cities to better understand the steps required to implement smart surfaces and meet their energy goals. This tool provides guidance on critical elements such as legal frameworks, zoning and building codes, procurement policies, and more. Users can tailor their searches using filters for policy type, policy goals, smart surface categories, jurisdiction size, state, and region. With this functionality, users can access model ordinance language from peer cities, compare regulatory benchmarks across communities, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. policy landscape for smart surfaces.
As a partner in the Smart Surfaces Coalition, NASEO supports efforts to advance the adoption of smart surface policies and technologies at both state and local levels. Current data within the tracker is drawn from nine states which include: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas. Additional states will be added throughout 2025 with hopes of including data from all remaining 41 states.
To access the tracker click here, and to learn more about the work of the Smart Surfaces Coalition click here.