Highlights
- Arizona State University researchers built a web app called Cool Routes that maps the shadiest walking routes to destinations.
- The tool is designed to reduce heat exposure for pedestrians during Arizona's summer months.
- The app's underlying research has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, according to ScienceDirect.
Arizona State University researchers have released a web-based app called Cool Routes that calculates the shadiest, coolest walking paths to destinations, the university announced June 10.
The app is designed to reduce the physical ordeal of summer pedestrian travel in the Valley, where pavement and direct sun combine to push apparent temperatures well above air temperature. According to the ASU news release, the tool "finds the coolest, shadiest ways to reach destinations on foot."
The research behind the app has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. ScienceDirect lists the underlying study under the title "Cool routes: Real-time human thermal exposure routing," indicating the routing engine accounts for real-time thermal exposure rather than distance or time alone. Mirage News also covered the release, describing the app as a tool that "slashes heat on walks."
The app is web-based and does not require a download. No pricing or availability restrictions were stated in the source material.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- news.asu.edu retrieved 10/06/2026 18:06
- sciencedirect.com retrieved 10/06/2026 18:06
- miragenews.com retrieved 10/06/2026 18:06
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 10/06/2026 18:06. Every claim traces to a source.
