iScape

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), outdoor air pollution is one of the major challenges of the 21st century, and is attributed to around 3.7 million deaths globally (WHO, 2014). It is estimated that 92 % of the world’s population still lives in regions where air pollutants levels are higher than the WHO specified limits (WHO, 2016). iSCAPE is a three-year (2016-2019) research and innovation project funded under the European Union’s H2020 programme. To advance knowledge in the field of air quality, iSCAPE has brought together an interdisciplinary team of renowned and experienced researchers, public authorities, business professionals, committed NGO members and citizens.

The overall objective is to develop an integrated strategy for air pollution control in European cities that is grounded on evidence-based analysis. The iSCAPE project aims to reduce urban air pollution and the negative impacts of climate change by leveraging sustainable passive control systems, behavioural change initiatives and the living lab approach. To achieve iSCAPE’s objectives in Dublin, the iSCAPE living lab connects a great variety of stakeholders, facilitate collaboration and sharing of multidisciplinary knowledge and experience to advance air pollution remediation strategies and solutions. This includes the engagement of citizens that is fundamental in living lab activities to create value and increase the public awareness of air pollution control.

The Dublin Living Lab implements both physical (low boundary wall) and behavioural interventions to tackle air pollution. These activities will be integrated with the use of Sensing Technologies and the development of two quality monitoring kits: one to assess the effectiveness of the implemented solutions to improve air quality (high-level monitoring kit) and one to involve and educate citizens (low-cost monitoring kit). In parallel, a campaign is ongoing to assess the effectiveness of these solutions for different climatic conditions related to location and seasonality. As such, iSCAPE is running air quality and meteorological simulations to preempt the effects and improve the impacts of these solutions and an extensive monitoring to assess the effectiveness of such solutions.

The monitoring and assessment campaign of the low boundary wall passive control system started in March 2018 and it is currently on-going.

The iSCAPE monitoring kits (living lab and citizen science) are currently calibrated on-site as part of a co-located test with reference instruments.

The Dublin Living Lab has already run some co-design activities in the Science Gallery as part of the hackathon “Hack the air”: https://dublin.sciencegallery.com/events/2018/hackairsparks

We are currently looking for helpful volunteers to participate in our study aiming to research the impact of a behavioural intervention on traffic related air pollution:
https://www.facebook.com/iSCAPEproject/posts/1336181959815125

• Scientifically validated results and evidence-based data for urban planners, local policy makers, NGOs, and citizens
• Guidelines and policy recommendations for improving the control of the air pollution and mitigation of the negative impacts of climate change
• Advanced low-cost sensing technologies and the Virtual Living Lab platform facilitating citizen science initiatives (https://livinglabs.iscapeproject.eu/dublin/)
• New ideas and promising concepts to tackle air pollution, co-created with local citizens through the iSCAPE Dublin living lab
• Increased collective awareness and knowledge of air pollution and its impact for healthier cities.

For more info, see links below:

https://www.iscapeproject.eu/
https://www.iscapeproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iSCAPE_leaflet.pdf
https://livinglabs.iscapeproject.eu/dublin/