Rotta Loria Co-Leads New Journal Theme Issue on Urban Heat Above and Below Ground

Northwestern Engineering’s Alessandro Rotta Loria has co-led a newly published Theme Issue of the academic journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. 

The edition “Urban Heat Spreading Above and Below Ground” examines how urban heat accumulates, migrates, and affects the built environment across both surface and subsurface domains, which is an increasingly urgent challenge as cities worldwide confront rising temperatures. Along with serving as an editor, Rotta Loria contributed two pieces: “Urban Heat Above and Below Ground: Toward Improved Understanding, Modeling, Mitigation, and Adaptation” and “Influence of the Underground Urban Morphology on Subsurface Heat Islands.”

Rotta Loria, Louis Berger Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering, directs the Subsurface Opportunities and Innovations Laboratory (SOIL). Centered on the subsurface, his work is dedicated to fostering the renewable energy transition, decarbonizing the construction sector, innovating infrastructure, and conserving the built and natural environments through underground solutions.

“I’m thrilled to contribute to this issue that features a highly diverse collection of studies from some of the most prominent scientists working in this field worldwide and aims to inspire not only future research but also concrete action by policymakers and stakeholders,” Rotta Loria said.

In 2023, Rotta Loria gained recognition for a groundbreaking study that connected underground urban heat to the movement of ground beneath cities. A 2023 TEDx speaker, he was also honored that year on the Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” list. In May, Rotta Loria received the 2025 Leonardo Da Vinci Award from the Engineering Mechanics Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

His work includes developing a method that uses electricity to create a natural cement binding sand grains into solid rock, which is ideal for reinforcing coastlines, and inventing a carbon-negative construction material made from seawater, electricity, and carbon dioxide.