Breathe Clean will be providing Tower Hamlets residents with the materials & training needed to monitor nitrogen dioxide levels around the places that matter to them. Participants will measure the air quality at a number of locations over a period of six months, to get a more granular picture of the situation in the borough. The data from the Breathe Clean project will be made available on Mapping for Change’s community maps webpage.
Our Role
In partnership with Tower Hamlets Council, we will be supporting members of the community to collect data, using a citizen science approach, to understand what the current air pollution levels are around their homes, places of work, schools and recreational spots.
Tower Hamlets currently has three automatic air monitoring stations across the borough and monitors nitrogen dioxide levels, using diffusion tubes at a number of additional locations. We aim to give residents the opportunity to add to this monitoring effort, and to know specifically what the state of air quality is in the places they live, work and play.
We will coordinate the data collection process to enable the findings to feed into a broader agenda of what could and should be done in the borough to increase awareness and develop more sustainable solutions. The community’s involvement in discussions around the potential development in St Leonards Priory, Bromley by Bow, is an example where the data from Breathe Clean can help inform what might be done with this green space.
We are currently coordinating efforts with Idling Action London, a participatory campaign group aiming to discourage motorists from leaving their engines on while parked. We have also been exploring how air quality monitoring can be used for project planning; liaising with the council and charity representatives involved in community events organisation in St Leonards Priory Park, Bromley by Bow.
Monitoring will commence in May, 2018 and an introductory workshop, demonstrating how to set up and change the diffusion tubes is scheduled for April. After the six month monitoring period, we will hold a feedback event for participants. In the recent ‘Love Lambeth Air’ project, this event allowed residents to discuss means to improve air quality, reduce personal exposure and establish plans for future action (See here for more details).
Mapping for Change’s work in air quality monitoring has been recognised in the latest report from the Chief Medical Officer (Department of Health and Social Care).
Related Projects
Citizen Science Used to Map Community Air Quality
In 2009, Mapping for Change supported communities across London to measure and map local air quality. Use of a ‘citizen science’ approach meant local residents in seven locations were able to collect data, then see the real results of their monitoring activities, and subsequently embark on a campaign to see the serious results addressed.
Science in the City 2
The City of London Corporation and Mapping for Change are teaming up once again to conduct a citizen science project to monitor air quality in the capital city and evaluate the recent changes made in the area. The project will seek to understand the impacts that public participation and citizen science have on environmental issues.
Evaluating People Zones Leicestershire
Through engaging residents in an Asset-Based Community Development Approach, our research for People Zones Leicestershire generated lasting resources which helped identify opportunities for hyper localised community initiatives. Now, we’re returning to evaluate the program’s impact, aiming to provide concrete evidence of its effectiveness in reducing crime and promoting community well-being.