Adapting radiative thermoregulation textiles to warming cities

As global temperature rises and urban heat island effects intensify, maintaining outdoor thermal comfort is increasingly challenging. Optically engineered textiles for radiant thermoregulation offer promising solutions, however, their performance in complex urban environments remains underexplored. This work discussed different types of textiles distinguished by their infrared optical properties, including broadband emitters, selective emitters, and broadband reflectors. It is emphasized that terrestrial heating can offset sky radiative cooling benefits of conventional broadband-emissive clothing human bodies. Selective thermal emissions within the atmospheric transparency window, combined with reflection at other wavelengths, can mitigate this effect and support all-season thermoregulation. In extreme hot, humid, or dense urban environments, an ultrabroadband reflector covering both solar and thermal infrared spectrum should be adopted to suppress radiative heat exchange and minimize urban heat stress. This work highlights the importance of adapting textile spectral properties to enhance thermal comfort across diverse urban settings.