What impact have air pollution reduction measures introduced by The City of London Corporation over the past six years had? That’s exactly what we’re aiming to find out through Science in the City 2! With levels of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide remaining a concern in urban areas—especially those associated with fuel combustion from transport and heating—this project is more relevant than ever.
Looking Back: The Original Science in the City Project (2014)
In 2014, Mapping for Change led the largest community-based, citizen science air quality monitoring project in the UK at the time. Partnering with residents of the Barbican Estate, Science in the City aimed to increase public understanding of air pollution, its causes, and how concentrations of pollutants varied over time and across different locations. Nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter were the main pollutants monitored, both of which are closely tied to urban traffic and heating systems.
This year-long initiative not only provided critical data but also gave residents the opportunity to voice their concerns and suggest measures to improve local air quality. Some of these suggested actions laid the groundwork for air quality interventions in the years that followed.
Six Years Later: What’s Changed?
Fast forward six years, and many of the initiatives proposed during the original project have been implemented. These include:
- The Low Emission Neighbourhood around the Barbican
- Traffic Management in Beech Street
- An Experimental Traffic Programme
- The introduction of the Mayor of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)
In 2021, we launched Science in the City 2 to evaluate the impact of these measures. The project broadened its scope, involving residents of both the Barbican and Golden Lane Estates, as well as placing monitoring tubes at additional street locations and nearby estates, such as Middlesex Estate. Residents are now hosting 54 nitrogen dioxide monitoring tubes, and 17 additional tubes have been placed at street-level locations.
The Results So Far: Comparing Air Quality in 2014 vs. 2021
The first four months of data collection reveal some promising results. Compared to the 2014 findings, nitrogen dioxide levels in 2021 are noticeably lower, which reflects the positive impact of the air pollution reduction measures implemented over the past six years. However, it’s also clear that Covid-19 restrictions have had a significant effect on traffic, which likely contributed to the lower pollution levels.
Graph showing nitrogen dioxide levels across the Barbican Estate, comparing data from 2014 and 2021.
As Covid-19 restrictions ease across the UK, the question remains: Will nitrogen dioxide levels stay low, or will they return to pre-pandemic levels? Only time will tell, and we’ll continue monitoring the situation as part of Science in the City 2.
So, watch this space for further updates!