Empowering communities: Advancements in air quality monitoring and citizen engagement
Hélder Relvas, Diogo Lopes, Jan Mateu Armengol
Abstract
In many places across the world, air pollution is a serious problem. Citizen-collaborative air quality monitoring and forecasting systems are gaining popularity as a potential solution. Community platforms with online air quality maps made by individuals offer a way to include people in environmental monitoring, increase public awareness of air pollution exposure, and support the growth of smart cities. The notion of smart cities places significant emphasis on the utility of technology in enhancing urban planning and management, as well as data-driven decision-making. Systems for citizen collaborative air quality monitoring and forecasting support this idea by giving residents of the city a means of gathering and evaluating data on air quality in real time. The article explores the role of social innovation techniques, such as co-creation and participatory sensing, in engaging citizens and raising awareness. Furthermore, these systems can contribute to the creation of smart cities that are more long-term sustainable and responsive to the demands of their residents by involving citizens and making use of technology. In conclusion, the combination of tools and social innovation significantly advances the concept of smart collaboration between citizens, researchers, and local authorities, fostering a stronger commitment to addressing air quality, and climate change challenges within smart communities. • Citizen science enhances public understanding of air pollution and engages communities and stakeholders. • Incentives and good practices are key to engaging citizens in science and ensuring participation. • A hybrid system combining multiple data sources is ideal for air quality monitoring and forecasting. • AI and IoT enable better tools for monitoring and managing air quality in smart cities.