Cool Pavements for Reducing the Effects of Climate Change and Contributing to a Circular Economy: A Synthetic Review

In the face of escalating urban heat island (UHI) challenges due to climate change, innovative strategies are imperative to counteract rising temperatures and enhance urban comfort. Given that approximately 25–40% of the surface area of modern cities and their suburbs is pavement, cool pavements have emerged as a promising solution to alleviate the adverse effects of excessive urban heat. Improving the cooling effect, durability, and sustainability has always been a hot topic in the research of cool pavements. First, this literature review comprehensively commences with an analysis of pavement energy balance from a thermodynamics perspective, culminating in the identification of four pivotal parameters to enhance the thermal properties of cool pavements. Subsequently, this chapter categorizes cool pavements into three distinctive types, reflective pavements, evaporative pavements, and energy transfer/storage pavements, summarizing and analyzing each category’s material development, classification, cooling effect, application, and challenges. Furthermore, because most current research focuses on single-mode cool pavement materials or technologies, this chapter provides ideas for integrating different cool pavement materials and techniques for future research.