On: Phoenix tried a reflective coating on black asphalt; noon surface heat fell 12°F

[3eb7988a1663]

Sure enough, Wikipedia says the population in 1940 was only 65k (which is still too many, but whatever). I would still assume that AC installation was very uneven and a luxury at the time.

[giantg2 → 3eb7988a1663]

I would guess that swamp coolers were fairly common.

[frollogaston → giantg2]

Yeah, and those actually work in the desert unlike in coastal areas