Welcome to the second iSCAPE newsletter!
This iSCAPE eNewsletter shares information about results and events of the EU research project iSCAPE. The aim is to keep all relevant stakeholders, interested in air quality in urban areas, up to date with the innovative potential of passive control systems, their social, economic and environmental impact as well as their role in the reduction of CO2.
In this newsletter you will find updates on:
- iSCAPE Research results
- iSCAPE News and events
- New iSCAPE deliverables available online
- Journal publications
|
|
|
|
In these last months there have been many advancements in the scientific production of the iSCAPE project, dealing with the implementation of the Living Labs in cities, the development and deployment of the sensors’ network, the analysis of literature about Passive Control Systems and behavioural interventions as well as in the development of the methodology for the assessment of the socio-economic impacts of the project.
Most of the deliverables will become fully available on the iSCAPE website over the next months. See below for further information.
|
|
|
|
Stakeholders analysis and risk assessment
 This report is the result of a series of community engagement workshops and insight activities about the non-technical challenges to the implementation of the iSCAPE living Labs in six target cities across Europe: Bologna, Bottrop, Dublin, Guildford, Hasselt and Vantaa. The non-technical challenges addressed by this report make the creation and execution of a living lab difficult or impossible because of human influence, Their presentation is accompanied by best practices, lessons learned and recommendations to support the development of inclusive and open Living Lab environments.
Partner in charge: Future Cities Catapult; Contributing partners: all.
Download the deliverable here
|
|
|
High-end and low-cost sensing platforms
 The report presents the iSCAPE sensor platform hardware development, including the Citizen Kit and the Living Lab Station. The tools illustrated in the document builds on the legacy of previous Smart Citizen Kit generations and might further evolve during on the next months once the field sensor tests are finalised. This set of tools aims at providing meaningful data insights on a low budget, building modular and reusable hardware to optimise the research and development effort and increasing the technology readiness levels of existing technologies.
Partner in charge: IAAC.
The deliverable will be available on the iSCAPE website in early 2018.
|
|
Report on footprint of PCSs
 Passive control systems (PCSs), interventions for reducing air pollution, are at the core of the iSCAPE project. This report summarises the iSCAPE intervention evaluation methods, sites description, instruments setup and experimental protocols for the potential of using physical passive controls (low boundary walls) and green infrastructure (trees, hedges, green walls and/or roofs), and the utilisation of photo-catalytic coatings (in road tiles or walls).
Partner in charge: UDC; Contributing partners: UoS, JRC, UNIBO, FMI, ARPA-ER, IAAC.
The deliverable will be available on the iSCAPE website in early 2018.
|
|
Report on iSCAPE socio-economic impact assessment methodology
 This report presents the methodology for the assessment of the socio-economic impacts of the iSCAPE project, focusing on the impact of the intervention studied and implemented by the project, and on the impact of the Living Lab activities and of the involvement of communities and institutions. The methodological framework is designed as modular in order to adapt to the specificities of the project pilot and best describe its socio-economic benefits.
Partner in chargeT6 ECO; Contributing partners: FMI,TUDO.
The deliverable will be available on the iSCAPE website in early 2018.
|
|
Report on solutions at urban level
 This report identifies relevant urban parameters that influence urban air quality and the emergence of urban heat islands as ‘urban structure’, ‘transport’, ‘industry and trade’ as well as ‘urban green and blue infrastructure’. Each of these parameters were each equipped with specific indicators to analyse the iSCAPE Living Lab (LL) cities’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in these specific fields.
Partner in charge: TU Dortmund University (TUDO); Contributing partners: University of Surrey (UoS).
The deliverable will be available on the iSCAPE website in early 2018.
|
|
Real time reporting system for monitoring with sensor technologies
 The report documents the current state of the tools that create the iSCAPE software platform. It is a preliminary deliverable since many of the tools presented will evolve during the next months once they are used on the different iSCAPE pilots. Before the end of the project the platform development status will be compiled on a final comprehensive report that will replace the existing one.
Partner in charge: IAAC; Contributing partners: n/a.
The deliverable will be available on the iSCAPE website in early 2018.
|
|
Environmental effects of behavioural actions
The report presents a comprehensive methodological framework evaluating the effects of behavioural interventions through modelling and simulation, and identifies the data requirements that can be combined with the behavioural intervention for the Hasselt Living Lab, to provide meaningful utilization of the GPS-based activity-travel routine and its analysis. Citizens of Hasselt were recruited with the help of Stad Hasselt support and by disseminating the study news in various forums. 40% of study participants have shown commitment to change their behaviour.
Partner in charge: UH; Contributing partners: Partners involved in WP 4 (UNIBO, T6, FCC, UoS, UCD, TUDO). Contribution of T6 and FCC in providing suggestions for improvement of Behavioural intervention. UNIBO, UoS, UCD and TUDO have contributed to provide support for implementing the similar study in their LL.
The deliverable will be available on the iSCAPE website in early 2018.
|
|
Assessment of air quality and microclimate in EU selected cities pre-infrastructural solutions
 The objective of this report is to produce a quantitative assessment of current climatic and air quality conditions in iSCAPE cities (“baseline scenarios”). This focused assessment will be used to estimate the effect of PCSs to improve poor air quality in each city. This report also furnishes novel information regarding heat waves and urban heat island for the two larger sites within iSCAPE i.e. Dublin and Bologna, affected by the UHI phenomenon which during summer may exacerbate climatic conditions when a heat wave is occurring.
Partner in charge: UNIBO; Contributing partners: UNIBO, ARPAE – (main contributors)
FMI, UoS, UCD, UH, TUDO (provided reference data for their city)
The deliverable will be available on the iSCAPE website in early 2018.
|
|
iSCAPE Round Table at the Dortmund Conference for Spatial and Planning Research 2018
iSCAPE will be part of the Dortmund Conference for Spatial Planning and Research (DOKORP 2018) at the TU Dortmund University on 5th and 6th of February 2018, Germany. The aim of the conference is to establish a forum in which the state of research on current topics of spatial planning can be presented and discussed. At the conference, members of the iSCAPE consortium will talk about the iSCAPE project in general and discuss possible solutions to improve air quality in European Cities.
For more details on the DORTMUND CONFERENCE ON SPATIAL AND PLANNING RESEARCH 2018 see the following link: http://www.raumplanung.tu-dortmund.de/rp/dortmundconference2018.html
|
|
New multi-disciplinary research centre to tackle air pollution
The iSCAPE partner University of Surrey has launched a new multi-disciplinary research centre last summer to tackle air pollution. The Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) sees the University leading on collaborative, cutting-edge research to identify an action plan to ensure ‘clean air for all’. GCARE provides a virtual and physical collaborative platform for conducting leading-edge research, supporting University-wide national and international projects under the themes of urban living and sustainability and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Read more
|
|
Bologna measurement campaign
The iSCAPE Bologna team, including the University of Bologna and ARPAE, successfully carried out the air quality measurement campaign in selected city areas. The activities went on from August 7th to September 29th in via Marconi, which is a canyon without trees, and via Laura Bassi Veratti, a canyon with trees. The research focused on those two areas because of the peculiarities of street canyons within urban environments, where atmospheric dynamics and turbulence are crucial for pollutants transport and removal. The measurement included air quality, dynamics and thermal atmospheric variables inside and above two urban street canyons, with and without trees. The effects of the urban green is currently under investigation to assess the impacts of trees on air quality at pedestrian level.
|
|
iSCAPE Living Labs training in London
The iSCAPE consortium gathered in London on September 19 and 20 for a two-day training about LivingLabs and their activities. Representatives from the six cities received and discussed trips&tricks on how to make their action at local level as effective as possible, identifying appropriate targets, sending out appealing messages, taking advantage of the iSCAPE tools. Two hands-on sessions provided them with the opportunity to test their ability as facilitators and organisers. The training was organised by Future Cities Catapult, with the support of T6Ecosystems, IAAC and EnoLL.
|
|
iSCAPE project meeting in Hasselt
 The iSCAPE team met for three days of intense and fruitful discussions at the Hasselt University from 3 to 5 October, with a focus on the outputs of the first year and planning the projects’ next steps, especially on the iSCAPE sites and instruments set up for the Passive Control Systems’ interventions. The iSCAPE Advisory Board member Rich Baldauf from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contributed with his experience and identified points of potential collaborations.
|
|
HARMO18 in Bologna
 The 18th International conference on Harmonisation within Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling for Regulatory Purposes took place in Bologna during the second week of October. Model developers, model users, environmental protection agencies and legislation experts gather to discuss modelling issues related to the European Union air quality directives. The conference debate aimed to answer questions such as: Are the models scientifically sound for the purpose they are used? Are the models validated against observations or physical experiments? Are the models properly used by the experts? Is proper exchange of experiences ensured?
The iSCAPE team in Bologna, lead by prof. Silvana Di Sabatino, hosted the conference and presented the first results from the project.
Learn more: http://www.harmo18.eu/
|
|
World Design Summit: lessons learnt from iSCAPE
On October 18, at the World Design Summit held in Montreal, a session chaired by Future Cities Catapult illustrated how the iSCAPE project is addressing the challenge of engaging citizens in research and interventions about air pollution and climate change.
Learn more https://worlddesignsummit.com/talk/?id=0688
|
|
American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) 36th Annual Conference
 Dr. Gallagher from the Trinity College Dublin team of the iSCAPE project was an invited speaker by the AAAR conference to contribute to a special symposia on ‘Passive Mitigation Strategies to Reduce Exposure to Near-Road Air Pollution’.
The U.S. research of passive control systems is also very active at present, and it was an opportunity to discuss the current and future directions of iSCAPE and how it complements the work done in the U.S. The event offers the opportunity to discuss and promote passive control systems to a new audience and develop potential new collaborations, while ensuring that the goals of U.S. researchers align with that of the iSCAPE project.
Learn more about the conference and its outcomes: https://www.aaar.org/2017
|
|
|
New iSCAPE Deliverables available online
|
|
|
|
The following iSCAPE deliverables can be now downloaded from the iSCAPE project website:
|
|
Report on challenges and opportunities in iSCAPE cities
Partner in charge: Future Cities Catapult
Contributing partners: University College Dublin, University of Bologna, University of Surrey, Finnish Meteorological Institute, University of Hasselt, Dortmund Technical University, European Network of Living Labs, Emilia-Romana Protection and Environmental Regional Agency
Download the deliverable here
|
|
Guidelines to promote passive methods for improving urban air quality in climate change scenarios
Partner in charge: University College Dublin
Contributing partners: University of Surrey, TU Dortmund University and European Commission Joint Research Centre
Download the deliverable here
|
|
Report on climate change and air quality
Partner in charge: University of Bologna
Contributing partners: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Emilia-Romana Protection and Environmental Regional Agency
Contributing reference data for their city: University College Dublin, University of Surrey, University of Hasselt, Dortmund Technical University
Download the deliverable here
|
|
Summary of air quality sensors and recommendations for application
Partner in charge: University of Surrey
Contributing partners: University College Dublin, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Institut d’Arquitectura Avancada de Catalunya
Download the deliverable here
|
|
Stakeholders analysis and risk assessment – non-technical challenges to implementation of interventions
Partner in charge: Future Cities Catapult
Contributing partners: all iSCAPE partners
Download the deliverable here
|
|
Implementation plans for the iSCAPE Living Labs
Partner in charge: University College Dublin
Contributing partners: University of Bologna, Technical University of Dortmund, University of Surrey, Hasselt University, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Future Cities Catapult, Dublin City Council
Download the deliverable here
|
|
Implementation plans for the iSCAPE Living Labs
Partner in charge: University College Dublin
Contributing partners: University of Bologna, Technical University of Dortmund, University of Surrey, Hasselt University, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Future Cities Catapult, Dublin City Council
Download the deliverable here
|
|
Stakeholder management plan and local citizen engagement strategy for the living labs
Partner in charge: Future Cities Catapult
Contributing partners: University of Bologna, Technical University of Dortmund, University College Dublin, University of Surrey, Hasselt University, Finnish Meteorological Institute
Download the deliverable here
|
|
iSCAPE journal publications
Aakash C. Rai, Prashant Kumar, Francesco Pilla, Andreas K. Skouloudis, Silvana Di Sabatino, Carlo Ratti, Ansar Yasar, David Rickerby, 2017. End-user Perspective of Low-cost Sensors for Outdoor Air Pollution Monitoring. Science of the Total Environment.
You can download a PDF of the accepted version of the article here.
Kathryn M. Shaneyfelt, Andrew R. Anderson, Prashant Kumar, William F. Hunt III, 2017. Air quality considerations for stormwater green street design. Environmental Pollution 231, Pages 768-778. You can download a PDF of the accepted version of the article here.
|
|
|
iSCAPE in a nutshell
The overall aim of iSCAPE is to develop and evaluate an integrated strategy for air pollution control in European cities grounded on evidence-based analysis. The project will develop the tools required to achieve an air pollution free/low carbon society by addressing air quality and climate change concerns together through the application of new smart and sustainable technologies for integration into urban design and guidelines. The scientists will carry out and measure the results of the research in seven Living Labs in the cities of Bologna, Bottrop, Dublin, Guildford, Hasselt, Vantaa. They will be used to foster innovation and showcase the products made by SMEs and iSCAPE’s academic partners, such as low-cost, high-quality air quality monitoring kits. The results of the study will inform policy interventions and implement behavioural change initiatives in urban areas.
iSCAPE started on 1 September 2016 and will run until 31 September 2019.
To find out more about the project and download the iSCAPE leaflet see: https://www.iscapeproject.eu/about/
The iSCAPE video
The co-ordinator of iSCAPE, the University College Dublin, has produced a short introductory video on the project. Have a look on the iSCAPE website https://www.iscapeproject.eu/about/ or directly on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGFUpuYHakY |
|
|
 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 689954. The content of this leaflet reflects the author’s views.The European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
|
|
|
Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* iSCAPE consortium. All rights reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
