Due to kick off in Summer 2016 helping improve air quality in European cities, ENoLL is pleased to form part of the iSCAPE (Improving the Smart Control of Air Pollution in Europe) project which has just been awarded a €6 million research grant.

The funding was secured through Horizon 2020, the EU research and innovation programme which aims to boost Europe’s competitiveness in the global economy and tackle societal challenges and the project will run from Summer 2016 until 2019. The iSCAPE project will be in operation in Innovation City Ruhr (Germany), Lazzaretto Bologna (Italy), Vantaa (Finland), Hasselt (Belgium), Bologna (Italy), and Guildford (UK) with the coordinator Dr Francesco Pilla directing the project from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland).

As part of the iSCAPE project, we will be establishing next-gen environmental living labs in various European cities in order to improve air quality and reduce our carbon footprints.

The project aims to integrate and advance the control of air quality and carbon emissions in European cities in the context of climate change through the development of sustainable and passive air pollution remediation strategies, policy interventions and behavioural change initiatives. Using a Living Lab approach the project will deploy a network of air quality and meteorological sensors (both stationary and mobile) and evaluate the benefits expected and experienced from the interventions on a neighbourhood and city-wide scale.

iSCAPE encapsulates the concept of “smart cities” by promoting the use of low-cost sensors, engaging citizens in the use of alternative solution processes to environmental problems. iSCAPE will support sustainable urban development by sharing results with policy-makers and planners using local test-cases, providing scientific evidence and ready-to-use solutions to improve city life for citizens. This integrated approach will include the development and assessment of a framework aimed at changing the mobility behaviour of people by studying processes and dynamics that lead to more resilient, healthy, and sustainable cities, by bringing together theory from urban planning, public policy, urban and environmental sociology and urban geography

We look forward to the project kickoff in June 2016 and bringing you news, best practice and the latest research in improving city air quality.