Happy Autumn, we hope you all had a good break!

Climate change and air quality have been top-of-mind for COMPAIR over the past few months as we have participated in many events and workshops across Europe during a record-breaking warm Summer which has led to some devastating effects. From large numbers of forest fires to high levels of air pollution, the need to better understand what we breath and how we can positively impact quality has never been greater.

At COMPAIR, we are eager to deploy sensors and start citizen science projects in our cities, so have been focusing on developing engagement and experiments plans ready for their launch. We are excited to share with you some of the things we were up to recently and what we are planning for the months ahead. Buckle up!

- Team Compair

Join us at #EURegionsWeek

The 20th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities is just around the corner. We're coming to this high-profile event with an online workshop to collaboratively explore how cities can leverage citizen science to achieve clean air for all. The workshop is a joint effort between COMPAIR and two sister projects SOCIOBEE and CITIMEASURE.

Tech corner

Sensor testing underway at VMM

The Flanders Environment Agency (VMM) is organising a benchmark study of commercially available mobile air quality sensors to measure black carbon (BC), particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The goal is to find out how well these sensors perform under lab conditions and in the field. There is a limited mobile test phase too, in which sensors' mobile performance is tested by attaching them to a cargo bike. Through this exercise, VMM can frame the performance of COMPAIR devices in light of available technologies and determine their suitability for the next project phases that will see citizens getting involved in mobile air quality measurements. For example, to map the exposure of children to air pollution on their way to school. Check out testing in action.

Low-cost sensors for traffic counting and air monitoring

COMPAΙR is developing low-cost and user-friendly Internet of Things (IoT) devices to support citizen scientists in measuring air quality and local traffic. Which IoT devices will be used for which purpose is explained in our recent sensor strategy report, where we also touch on aspects related to cost, data integration, and standardisation. We conclude with a reflection on the usability and usefulness of these sensors in a citizen science project, and more widely - in terms of their potential as an intelligent data source in smart cities. Read report.

Pilot update

The school streets use case presented to Flemish municipalities

One of the goals of the Flemish pilot is to study what impact traffic around schools has on air quality. This measure aims to better understand which streets suffer dangerous levels of air pollution and temporarily close them to motorised traffic during school drop-off and pick-up times. Thereby. helping to promote a healthier commute for young people. COMPAIR will measure changes in modal shift and air pollution to assess policy effectiveness and make recommendations for improvement. This strategy was the focus of the presentation that Lieven Raes of Digital Flanders gave to Flemish cities on 24 June. More on the Flemish case here.

Another round of co-creation activities in Berlin

Our German partners Inter 3, Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI), and the European Citizen Science Association organised their second workshop as a hybrid event on June 22 at CityLAB Berlin. This was an opportunity for citizens to provide feedback on two visualisation tools the project is building: a policy monitoring dashboard that displays air quality on a city level, and an augmented reality app that visualises pollutants in one's vicinity. The most important and useful recommendations will be taken into account in the next development cycle. Read full blog.

Below is a video where Inter 3 and Fraunhofer HHI explain how citizen science has brought them together to improve air quality in the Berlin-Brandenburg area (with English subtitles).

Other news

Inclusive stakeholder strategy co-designed at LK9

COMPAIR wants to ensure that benefits of citizen science are spread equally among different social groups, and so has made it a priority to engage vulnerable individuals in local measurement campaigns. To better understand which groups can be considered vulnerable, what’s the best way to involve them, and how can technology be used to provide meaningful participation, we travelled to Groningen to run an interactive workshop on 30 June with participants of the Living Knowledge conference (LK9). Gathered ideas have been incorporated into the pilot operations plan that will be released later in September. Read more.

COMPAIR weighs in on eGovernance in Samos

The University of the Aegean hosted the 9th International Summer School (4-8 July) to discuss recent trends in ICT enabled Governance. Recognising the importance of citizen science in advancing eGov objectives, organisers invited COMPAIR to share its views on digital solutions shaping the science-policy interface with students, academic staff, and international professionals joining the conference in person and online. After two presentations, COMPAIR delivered a workshop on the ethical dimension of participatory science. Read more.

Policy landscape review completed

COMPAIR recently mapped policy drivers that shape citizen science developments in the four pilot countries (Bulgaria, Flanders, Germany, Greece), as well as at EU level. Covered in the review are various strategy documents, white papers, green papers, roadmaps, and plans that promote, directly and indirectly, public participation in science. These findings will help COMPAIR align its measurement campaigns with local policy priorities, thus improving the relevance and sustainability of citizen science results. Read deliverable.

and finally...

Calling air quality volunteers

We need people from all backgrounds to help take part in air-quality and traffic monitoring experiments using static and dynamic sensors. No experience needed. The first experiments will soon take place in Athens, Berlin, Flanders, Sofia and Plovdiv. Register your interest here.