To stop building heat islands, stop overbuilding parking lots
I don't understand why cities mandate so much surface parking. It makes the city worse for everyone, including drivers. Why not have the parking under buildings? Sure it's a bit more expensive to build, but saves so much space! And the cars don't sit out in the sun while you shop. Maybe it would be best if there were no parking mandates at all and cities let the market figure out the right amount of parking space.