"UK" Green Infrastructure for roadside air quality mitigation: unblocking a UK policy impasse
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: Sch of Geography, Earth & Env Sciences
Abstract
This Innovation project for impact will bring together policy and practice leaders concerned with how planning decisions affect urban air quality. The overarching aim is to make a software platform for the quantitative assessment of Green Infrastructure as an aid to the improvement of roadside air quality. We call this platform GI4RAQ. Our particular objectives can be summarised as:
1. to provide a consolidated, open-source, computer modelling code for roadside air pollution in urban settings based on our existing research code.
2. to co-design of a fit-for-purpose, simple, and attractive GI4RAQ platform for urban practitioners as a front-end to the consolidated model code.
3. to demonstrate that the GI4RAQ platform can unlock a critical impasse in current planning policy and so enable capacity-building on the regulatory and consultancy sides of the planning process.
We will work with major influencers in the private and public sectors, which offers a rapid and cost-effective route to meaningful impact. Specifically, we will work with Transport for London and the Greater London Authority to influence the next issue of the London Plan. To be released towards the end of 2019, a proposed new policy requiring larger-scale developments to be 'Air Quality Positive' may be implemented, but only if tools exist to evidence such a result at planning.
We will work with the UK's leading air quality consultants, Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC) and Ricardo Energy & Environment, to ensure that the GI4RAQ platform is fit for operational use and that it can be used alongside current Air Quality tools. London's 33 Local Authorities must ensure their Local Plans conform to the London Plan, and Authorities across the UK look to the London Plan in preparing their own Local Plans, both of which provide cascading impact for our proposed work.
The project is designed to dovetail with 'WM Air', a large multi-partner programme focused on West Midlands' air quality led by the University of
Birmingham. The GI4RAQ Principal Investigator leads the work stream on green infrastructure in WM Air alongside GI4RAQ partner Birmingham City Council, thereby ensuring rapid knowledge transfer between research and practice in London and Birmingham.
The project will establish a robust approach to 'GI4RAQ' interventions to deliver reliable improvements in roadside air quality, based on quantitative computer modelling but avoiding the time and expense of full fluid flow simulations. The approach develops directly out of a NERC Innovation Pathfinder, which established that a strong demand for quantitative GI4RAQ exists, but also identified the policy impasse, and a placement of the researcher co-Investigator in Transport for London.
1. to provide a consolidated, open-source, computer modelling code for roadside air pollution in urban settings based on our existing research code.
2. to co-design of a fit-for-purpose, simple, and attractive GI4RAQ platform for urban practitioners as a front-end to the consolidated model code.
3. to demonstrate that the GI4RAQ platform can unlock a critical impasse in current planning policy and so enable capacity-building on the regulatory and consultancy sides of the planning process.
We will work with major influencers in the private and public sectors, which offers a rapid and cost-effective route to meaningful impact. Specifically, we will work with Transport for London and the Greater London Authority to influence the next issue of the London Plan. To be released towards the end of 2019, a proposed new policy requiring larger-scale developments to be 'Air Quality Positive' may be implemented, but only if tools exist to evidence such a result at planning.
We will work with the UK's leading air quality consultants, Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC) and Ricardo Energy & Environment, to ensure that the GI4RAQ platform is fit for operational use and that it can be used alongside current Air Quality tools. London's 33 Local Authorities must ensure their Local Plans conform to the London Plan, and Authorities across the UK look to the London Plan in preparing their own Local Plans, both of which provide cascading impact for our proposed work.
The project is designed to dovetail with 'WM Air', a large multi-partner programme focused on West Midlands' air quality led by the University of
Birmingham. The GI4RAQ Principal Investigator leads the work stream on green infrastructure in WM Air alongside GI4RAQ partner Birmingham City Council, thereby ensuring rapid knowledge transfer between research and practice in London and Birmingham.
The project will establish a robust approach to 'GI4RAQ' interventions to deliver reliable improvements in roadside air quality, based on quantitative computer modelling but avoiding the time and expense of full fluid flow simulations. The approach develops directly out of a NERC Innovation Pathfinder, which established that a strong demand for quantitative GI4RAQ exists, but also identified the policy impasse, and a placement of the researcher co-Investigator in Transport for London.
Planned Impact
Impact will be manifested in verifiable changes to behaviour in planning, making a material difference to: local authority capability; developer and architect costs; and the quality of life of citizens. We use a co-design process to ensure our GI4RAQ platform is fit-for-purpose and to build a network of early adopters for rapid uptake and impact. The unique skill set of our researcher co-Investigator, who is a trained architect as well as experienced post-doctoral atmospheric chemist, offers an original perspective on how to make effective, meaningful, and long-lasting impact.
Local authority capability
Roadside air quality (RAQ) often exceeds national AQ objectives and has been the subject of litigation against the UK government. However, the UK government devolves AQ responsibility to local authorities. AQ is therefore of concern to local authorities, and RAQ poses a particular concern. Whilst a large number of recent studies have highlighted the potential for strategic green infrastructure (GI) to improve RAQ, there is a lack of appropriate platform to predict quantitatively the highly location-specific impacts of GI interventions during planning, especially at the pre-application ('pre-app') stage. Enhancing local authority capabilities with the GI4RAQ platform will strengthen local planning governance, and improve taxpayers' value for money, in the delivery of cost-effective improvements in RAQ and, thereby, public health in the built environment.
Developer and architect costs
Developers and architects will benefit through access to a transparent platform to assess GI options at an early stage of the design process, thereby saving time and costs by improving their chances of securing planning permission on first application, and enhancing productivity.
The quality of life of citizens
Through improved local authority capabilities and reduced developer and architect costs, more and better consideration of air quality in planning will improve the lives of citizens. Providing a quantitative platform to assess the effectiveness of GI interventions will increase the number of GI interventions and increase the quality of each intervention. More cost-effective interventions will deliver improved public health. Adverse air quality shortens the lives of tens of thousands of citizens in our partner local authorities of London and Birmingham, and shortens the lives of millions worldwide.
Local authority capability
Roadside air quality (RAQ) often exceeds national AQ objectives and has been the subject of litigation against the UK government. However, the UK government devolves AQ responsibility to local authorities. AQ is therefore of concern to local authorities, and RAQ poses a particular concern. Whilst a large number of recent studies have highlighted the potential for strategic green infrastructure (GI) to improve RAQ, there is a lack of appropriate platform to predict quantitatively the highly location-specific impacts of GI interventions during planning, especially at the pre-application ('pre-app') stage. Enhancing local authority capabilities with the GI4RAQ platform will strengthen local planning governance, and improve taxpayers' value for money, in the delivery of cost-effective improvements in RAQ and, thereby, public health in the built environment.
Developer and architect costs
Developers and architects will benefit through access to a transparent platform to assess GI options at an early stage of the design process, thereby saving time and costs by improving their chances of securing planning permission on first application, and enhancing productivity.
The quality of life of citizens
Through improved local authority capabilities and reduced developer and architect costs, more and better consideration of air quality in planning will improve the lives of citizens. Providing a quantitative platform to assess the effectiveness of GI interventions will increase the number of GI interventions and increase the quality of each intervention. More cost-effective interventions will deliver improved public health. Adverse air quality shortens the lives of tens of thousands of citizens in our partner local authorities of London and Birmingham, and shortens the lives of millions worldwide.
Organisations
- University of Birmingham (Lead Research Organisation)
- Trees for Cities (Collaboration)
- Transport for London (Project Partner)
- Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Ricardo (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Birmingham City Council (Project Partner)
- Greater London Authority (Project Partner)
Publications
Churchman Thornhill Finch
(2022)
Feasibility Study Report, 'Eastville Junction: A Green Place - A Cool Place'
Dai Y
(2022)
Chemistry, transport, emission, and shading effects on NO2 and Ox distributions within urban canyons.
in Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
Dai Y
(2021)
Modelling chemistry and transport in urban street canyons: Comparing offline multi-box models with large-eddy simulation
in Atmospheric Environment
MacKenzie A
(2019)
Urban form strongly mediates the allometric scaling of airshed pollution concentrations
in Environmental Research Letters
Zhong J
(2020)
Neighbourhood-scale dispersion of traffic-induced ultrafine particles in central London: WRF large eddy simulations.
in Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
| Description | This grant, the third in a series of small Innovation grants, has developed software that can help practitioners quantify the effects of green infrastructure (hedges, trees, etc) on roadside air quality. The open-source software and graphical user interface allow the user to input the details specific to the roadside of interest. The air quality calculations are based on a conceptual model of flow around barriers; the deflected flow enhances dispersion and hence dilutes pollution. The software has been beta-tested by practitioners who have been involved in the co-design of the tool. The software was expected to be on general release by summer 2020; this was delayed until mid-2021 due to Covid. The software is now fully released and is supported by a peer-reviewed publication (Pearce et al., 2021). |
| Exploitation Route | The software has a great deal of potential for expansion. Being open source, this expansion can be by members of the current team or by third-party developers. The most obvious scope for development is in capturing more and more complexity of the streetscape for the calculations. |
| Sectors | Environment,Transport |
| URL | https://www.gi4raq.ac.uk/pages/login |
| Description | This Innovation project for impact brings together policy and practice leaders concerned with how planning decisions affect urban air quality. The overarching aim is to make a software platform for the quantitative assessment of Green Infrastructure as an aid to the improvement of roadside air quality. We call this platform GI4RAQ. We have provided a consolidated, open-source, computer modelling code for roadside air pollution in urban settings based on our existing research code (https://www.gi4raq.ac.uk/pages/login). In using the GI4RAQ tool, we aim to demonstrate that it can unlock a critical impasse in current planning policy and so enable capacity-building on the regulatory and consultancy sides of the planning process. We work with major influencers in the private and public sectors: Transport for London and the Greater London Authority, specifically to influence the next issue of the London Plan. Released in 2020, a proposed new policy requiring larger-scale developments to be 'Air Quality Positive' may be implemented, but only if tools exist to evidence such a result at planning. We work with the UK's leading air quality consultants: Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC) and Ricardo Energy & Environment, to ensure that the GI4RAQ platform is fit for operational use and that it can be used alongside current Air Quality tools. The project is designed to dovetail with 'WM Air', a large multi-partner programme focused on West Midlands' air quality led by the University of Birmingham. The GI4RAQ Principal Investigator leads the work stream on green infrastructure in WM Air alongside GI4RAQ partner Birmingham City Council, thereby ensuring rapid knowledge transfer between research and practice in London and Birmingham. |
| Sector | Environment,Transport |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Advisory Group Member for The Mersey Forest Plan 2025 |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/news/revisiting-the-mersey-forest-plan/ |
| Description | INVITED REVIEWER - Draft Lancashire County Council Public Health Advisory Note, 'Green Infrastructure and Roadside Air Quality' (about to be published) - Oct 19 |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Interviewed for, and reviewed, POSTnote on 'Urban Outdoor Air Quality' |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| URL | https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pn-0691/ |
| Description | NERC Discipline Hopping Block Grant: 'Proof-of-concept Urban Forest Digital Twin for improved Air Quality and Public Health (for a NERC KE Fellowship proposal)' |
| Amount | £3,600 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NERC DH-Levine |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | NERC Future of UK Treescapes Fellowship awarded to James Levine: Advancing a planning Framework FOr Regionally Enhanced & Equitable Ecosystem Services from urban Treescapes (AFFORE3ST) |
| Amount | £39,846 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/V009664/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2023 |
| End | 12/2023 |
| Description | Renewed Sponsorship (hosting only) of the Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform by Trees for Cities - 4th December 2022 |
| Organisation | Trees For Cities |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | James Levine continues to provide light-touch support for Trees for Cities' teams using the Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform; Trees for Cities' logo continues to be displayed on the software's landing page (www.GI4RAQ.ac.uk) in recognition of their sponsorship of its hosting on Cloudflare servers for a further 12 months. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Trees for Cities have kindly renewed their sponsorship of the GI4RAQ Platform's hosting on Cloudflare servers via Wild Ilk Ltd (developer of the software's web user interface) for a period of 12 months starting 4th December 2022. |
| Impact | Trees for Cities partnership on a NERC Future of UK Treescapes Fellowship (funded and currently in progress), AFFORE3ST: Advancing a planning Framework FOr Regionally Enhanced & Equitable Ecosystem Services from urban Treescapes |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Sponsorship (hosting only) of the Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform by Trees for Cities - 4th December 2021 |
| Organisation | Trees For Cities |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | James Levine is training the relevant teams at Trees for Cities in the use of the Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform (1 day preparation; 0.5 day workshop; 0.5 day subsequent support). He has also organised the display of Trees for Cities' logo on the software's landing page (www.GI4RAQ.ac.uk) in recognition of their sponsorship of the software's hosting on Cloudflare servers for 12 months. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Trees for Cities are kindly sponsoring the GI4RAQ Platform's hosting on Cloudflare servers via Wild Ilk Ltd (developer of the software's web user interface) for a period of 12 months starting 4th December 2021. |
| Impact | 'GI4RAQ Training Workshop' produced and delivered by James Levine for Trees for Cities (14th March 2022). Trees for Cities partnership on a NERC Discipline Hopping Block Grant (NERC ref. NERC DH-Levine) - funded and currently in progress: 'Proof-of-concept Urban Forest Digital Twin for improved Air Quality and Public Health (for a NERC KE Fellowship proposal)'. Trees for Cities partnership on said NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins'. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Title | Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform - Officially Launched |
| Description | The GI4RAQ Platform was officially launched via a University of Birmingham press release on 8th July 2021 (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2021/07/open-source-software-to-help-cities-plant-in-pursuit-of-clean-air.aspx) following publication of a peer-reviewed paper documenting the software and presenting first tests of its performance (https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/6/769). Co-designed with urban practitioners, this is the first software enabling a wide variety of urban stakeholders (i.e., not only air quality specialists) to estimate quantitatively the site-specific impacts of roadside vegetation barriers on local exposure to proximate vehicular pollution via changes in pollutant dispersion close to source. The GI4RAQ Platform is freely accessible at: www.GI4RAQ.ac.uk It draws on bespoke, open-source air quality code: https://github.com/GI4RAQ/GI4RAQ-open . It is fully documented by Pearce et al. (2021) in the open-access journal, Forests: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/6/769 |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Impact | At time of writing, the GI4RAQ Platform has over 240 registered users. Amongst these, it is currently in use by: - Transport for London, in partnership with the Greater London Authority, on a public-realm improvement scheme in a London borough - Liverpool City Council, in partnership with The Mersey Forest and Liverpool ONE (Grosvenor Group) on a scheme in central Liverpool It has already been used for GI4RAQ feasibility studies commissioned in relation to: - 2x West Midlands Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) - A 1.2km long road improvement scheme in the West of England It has attracted two successive years' sponsorship (limited to web hosting) by Trees for Cities. |
| URL | http://www.GI4RAQ.ac.uk |
| Title | Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform Prototype for User Testing - Nov 19 |
| Description | This prototype web-based software has been developed in the first instance for user testing; it will be made freely available and open source from the end of Q2 2020. It is the first software - co-designed with urban practitioners - to enable its users to estimate quantitatively the site-specific impacts of green infrastructure on exposure to road transport pollution via changes in pollutant dispersion close to source: i.e., subject to local conditions of wind and urban form, what green infrastructure, where with a street, will be of roughly how much benefit (or disbenefit) to who in different parts of that street's cross section. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | Not (yet) applicable; see description of software above. |
| URL | http://gi4raq.wildilk.com/pages/login |
| Title | Prototype Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform - Revised and now live |
| Description | This prototype web-based software is now live, freely available and the underlying air quality code (cf. the web-based user interface) is open source. Web-based user interface accessed here: http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk Open-source air quality code available here: https://github.com/GI4RAQ/GI4RAQ-open It is the first software - co-designed with urban practitioners - to enable its users to estimate quantitatively the site-specific impacts of green infrastructure on exposure to road transport pollution via changes in pollutant dispersion close to source: i.e., subject to local conditions of wind and urban form, what green infrastructure, where with a street, will be of roughly how much benefit (or disbenefit) to who in different parts of that street's cross section. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | Due to furloughing of the developers responsible for the web-based user interface, as a result of COVID-19, the prototype GI4RAQ Platform was not live until late 2020. We will add evidence of impact in due course. |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | 'Digital Twins and Big Data [in Urban Forestry]' Scoping Event hosted by The Mersey Forest - 26th January 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Scoping event hosted by The Mersey Forest to explore the use of digital twins and big data in urban forestry - horizon scanning with representatives from a range of organisations (e.g., Liverpool City Council, Liverpool John Moores University and Myerscough College). James Levine was invited to join the event and advise on the potential to embed (academic) numerical models of ecosystem services in digital twins (i.e., based on BIM or GIS) and thereby bring mechanistic/'bottom-up' understanding to complement 'top-down' insights from big data. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | 1st Discussion of University of Birmingham contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (20/7/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Discussion of University of Birmingham contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (20/7/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | 2nd Discussion of University of Birmingham contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (27/7/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Discussion of University of Birmingham contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (27/7/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Allometry media |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Media coverage for MacKenzie et al. 2019, 'Urban form strongly mediates the allometric scaling of airshed pollution concentrations", Environ. Res. Lett. Reach statistic by 15th Feb 2020 = 27 million, with a value to the funders calculated by the UoB press office as £502,000. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-51268918 |
| Description | Clean Air Day 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Clean Air Day 2020. An evening panel discussion organised by ST, chaired by ARMK, and including WJB on the panel. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Design Team Meeting with Liverpool City Council, The Mersey Forest and Liverpool ONE - 6th October 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Design team meeting with Liverpool City Council, The Mersey Forest and Liverpool ONE (Grosvenor Group) regarding a public realm improvement scheme in central Liverpool employing 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) to reduce local exposure to proximate vehicular pollution. James Levine was invited to join the design team to advise on GI4RAQ: he was able to influence the design of a vegetation barrier, later being asked to modify the drawings produced by a landscape architect, within the sites constraints, to maximise the partial protection from pollution afforded to people in the wake of the barrier. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | EnvironmentalHealth 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited Chair and Keynote, Environmental Health 2019, A.R. MacKenzie: Not falling over: strategies for the three-legged race to better urban futures |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | First presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Phil Christensen (Bentley - Digital Cities) (9/6/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | First presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Phil Christensen (Bentley - Digital Cities), exploring potential Digital Twins collaboration (9/6/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Follow-up meeting with Ecologic re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (29/7/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Follow-up meeting with Ecologic re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (29/7/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Follow-up presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Liverpool City Council and the Mersey Forest (20/5/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Follow-up presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Liverpool City Council and the Mersey Forest, garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | FutureBuild 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited keynote by A.R. MacKenzie: Reduce, Extend, Protect: Practical and evidenced steps to reduce public exposure to air pollution |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.futurebuild.co.uk/speakers/rob-mackenzie |
| Description | FutureBuild2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Reduce, Extend, Protect: Practical and evidenced steps to reduce public exposure to air pollution". Invited keynote, FutureBuild, London, 5 March 2020. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | INVITED TALK - Chartered Institute of Environmental Health - London Hub Environmental Protection Study Day (London) - Dec 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Engage a wide variety of stakeholders across Greater London in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. 2. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 3. Introduce the evidence-based approach to 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) I developed in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) via a 6 month secondment to TfL funded by a NERC Innovation Placement grant. 4. Outline the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.cieh.org/media/3519/london-pollution-study-day-programme-06-12-19.pdf |
| Description | INVITED TALK - Futurebuild 2020 (London) - Mar 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 2. Introduce the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.futurebuild.co.uk/speakers/james-levine |
| Description | INVITED TALK - Greater Manchester Forests Partnership (Greater Manchester Combined Authority) - Jul 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Engage representatives of the ten Greater Manchester Districts in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. 2. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 3. Introduce the evidence-based approach to 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) I developed in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) via a 6 month secondment to TfL funded by a NERC Innovation Placement grant. 4. Outline the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | INVITED TALK - Manchester City of Trees Conference (Salford) - Oct 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Engage a wide variety of stakeholders across Greater Manchester in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. 2. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 3. Introduce the evidence-based approach to 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) I developed in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) via a 6 month secondment to TfL funded by a NERC Innovation Placement grant. 4. Outline the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | INVITED TALK - Midlands Trees & Design Action Group (Birmingham) - Feb 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Interest a wide variety of stakeholders across the West Midlands in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality). 2. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 3. Introduce the evidence-based approach to 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) I developed in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) via a 6 month secondment to TfL funded by a NERC Innovation Placement grant. 4. Outline the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tdag-seminar-series-gi-air-quality-brum-06022020-tickets-88501573589# |
| Description | INVITED TALK - Transport for West Midlands (Birmingham) - Dec 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 2. Introduce the evidence-based approach to 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) I developed in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) via a 6 month secondment to TfL funded by a NERC Innovation Placement grant. 3. Outline the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | INVITED TALK - Urban Design London Air Quality Event (Transport for London) - Jan 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Engage a wide variety of stakeholders across Greater London in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. 2. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 3. Introduce the evidence-based approach to 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) I developed in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) via a 6 month secondment to TfL funded by a NERC Innovation Placement grant. 4. Outline the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.urbandesignlondon.com/events/2019-2020/london/#improving-londons-air-quality-30-01-20 |
| Description | INVITED TALK - West Sussex Inter-Authority Air Quality Group (Horsham) - Jun 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 2. Introduce the evidence-based approach to 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) I developed in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) via a 6 month secondment to TfL funded by a NERC Innovation Placement grant. 3. Outline the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | INVITED TALK - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Low Emission Strategy Delivery Group (WYCA) - Dec 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to: 1. Engage representatives of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and the ten West Yorkshire Districts, in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. 2. Share the latest understanding of the influence that vegetation, or 'green infrastructure', has on urban air quality. 3. Introduce the evidence-based approach to 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) I developed in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) via a 6 month secondment to TfL funded by a NERC Innovation Placement grant. 4. Outline the GI4RAQ software prototype now in development via a NERC Innovation Project grant following its scoping with a NERC Innovation Pathfinder grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited talk at University of Birmingham 'Building and Managing Interdisciplinary Teams' workshop - 25th February 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | James Levine gave an invited talk (10 mins) + Q&A (15 mins) at this workshop focussed on building and managing interdisciplinary research teams. James has since met with one of the attendees, taking a similar approach to building external collaborations and sharing interests in combining technological developments (e.g. software innovation) with discursive activities (e.g. consensus building amongst varied stakeholders), to scope an outline grant proposal. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Invited webinar, organised by the Institute of Chartered Foresters, linked to the Trees, People & Built Environment 4 Conference (20/11/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited webinar, organised by the Institute of Chartered Foresters, linked to the Trees, People & Built Environment 4 Conference (20/11/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Led a Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Training Workshop for Trees for Cities - 14th March 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | GI4RAQ Training Workshop for Trees for Cities' Planning, Implementation and Press/Public Relations teams: training to use the software and apply it to a real-world scheme (Sunnyhill Primary School, London SW16 2UW) in exchange for their sponsorship of the software's hosting for 12 months. Future plans* made include: - Delivering strategic, evidence-based street tree planting schemes in partnership with local authorities - Building organisational capacity within Trees for Cities and across its local authority partner network (currently Harrow, Haringey, Tower Hamlets and Croydon) - Working with three local authority partners (one per year) to monitor the air quality impacts of planting interventions and co-developing a street tree planting strategy: i.e., a replicable and evidenced approach *Pending funding of a NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Meeting with BitNet re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (17/8/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with BitNet re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (17/8/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Bradford City Council (Bradford) - Jan 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to engage representatives of Bradford City Council in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Churchman Thornhill Finch Landscape Architects to scope a Highways England Road Improvement Feasibility Study - 16th July 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Scoping meeting with Churchman Thornhill Finch Landscape Architects regarding the inclusion of 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) in a major road improvement scheme by Highways England. -> James Levine has recently been appointed to an 11-day GI4RAQ feasibility study - led by Churchman Thornhill Finch, for Keir on behalf of Highways England - via the University of Birmingham's Academic Consultancy Service. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with Create Streets to develop a collaborative proposal, 'Deep Green' (21/1/2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | James Levine (Innovation Network Manager for TRANSITION) met with David Milner, Projects Director at Create Streets, to develop a collaborative proposal, 'Deep Green', re the development of low-carbon and clean air residential developments - linkages to GI4RAQ and WM-Air projects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Meeting with Create Streets to discuss the prototype GI4RAQ Platform, StreetScore and Deep Green (18/11/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with David Milner, Projects Director at Create Streets, to present the prototype Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform and explore potential linkages to their StreetScore tool (to estimate the 'value' of streets) and Deep Green proposal (to develop a design guide for low-carbon, clean air developments). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Meeting with Ecologic re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (21/7/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with Ecologic re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (21/7/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with GMV re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (11/8/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with GMV re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (11/8/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Greater London Authority (City Hall, London) - Dec 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, representatives of the Greater London Authority to engage them in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Greater Manchester Combined Authority to scope Next Steps for 'GI4RAQ' and Equitable Ecosystem Services - 15th December 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Head of Natural Environment, Sam Evans, to scope Next Steps for 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) and James' increasing focus on equitable provision of ecosystem services. -> James subsequently secured their partnership on a NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with Highways England re Roadside Barriers - 21st October 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with Highways England's Principal Air Quality Advisor, Andrew Bean, to discuss the efficacy of roadside barriers in reducing local exposure to air pollution from proximate vehicles; Stephen had seen James' presentation at the UKHSA Annual UK Research Review Meeting on Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Research (14th Oct 2021). -> James has been invited by Highways England to review a measurement study of the impacts of roadside barriers on local air quality. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with Iain Taylor, Chair of the Community Forest Trust (Rossendale) - Nov 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, Iain Taylor to engage the Community Forest Trust in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with James Richer, Global Air Quality Practice Director, AECOM (Aldgate Tower, London) - Aug 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, James Richer and his colleague, David Deakin, Technical Director for Air Quality, to engage AECOM in a potentially industry-changing world-first software solution that could enable a new best practice, or 'next practice', in the sphere of urban development for improved air quality and public health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with James Richer, Global Air Quality Practice Director, AECOM (Aldgate Tower, London) - Jan 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | [Further] Discussion with, and pitch to, James Richer and his colleague, David Deakin, Technical Director for Air Quality, to engage AECOM in a potentially industry-changing world-first software solution that could enable a new best practice, or 'next practice', in the sphere of urban development for improved air quality and public health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with John Parker, Technical Director, Arboricultural Association (Stonehouse) - Dec 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, John Parker to engage the Arboricultural Association in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Joseph Coles, Urban Programme Lead, Woodland Trust (Leeds) - Dec 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, Joseph Coles to engage the Woodland Trust in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Kieron Doick, Head of Urban Forest Research Group, Forest Research (Bentley) - Jan 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, Kieron Doick to engage Forest Research as a potential partner in a European Horizon 2020 proposal (Stage 2); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Leeds) - Dec 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to engage representatives of Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Liverpool City Council, the Mersey Forest and Liverpool ONE to discuss a collaboration on GI4RAQ in Liverpool city centre (19/2/2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with Liverpool City Council, the Mersey Forest and Liverpool ONE to discuss a collaboration on GI4RAQ in Liverpool city centre (19/2/2021) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Mersey Forest & Liverpool ONE (Liverpool) - Jul 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to engage representatives of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Mersey Forest & Liverpool ONE in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Manchester City Council (Manchester) - Jan 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to engage representatives of Manchester City Council in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Manchester City of Trees to scope Next Steps for 'GI4RAQ' and Equitable Ecosystem Services - 16th July 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with Manchester City of Trees' Green Infrastructure Resilience Manager, Pete Stringer, to scope Next Steps for 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) and James' increasing focus on equitable provision of ecosystem services. -> James subsequently secured their partnership on a NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with Mersey Forest re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (4/8/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with Mersey Forest re contribution to CARTIF's H2020 Stage 2 Proposal, NATURaL IMPAQ (4/8/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Prof Alan Simson, Chair of White Rose Forest Steering Group (Leeds Beckett University) - Jul 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, Prof Alan Simson to engage the White Rose Forest in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Prof Mark Birkin, Urban Analytics Programme Lead, Alan Turing Institute (London) - Jan 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, Prof Mark Birkin to engage the Alan Turing Institute (Urban Analytics Programme) as a potential partner in a European Horizon 2020 proposal (Stage 2); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Salford City Council, University of Salford and RHS Garden Bridgewater (Salford) - Dec 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to engage representatives of Salford City Council, the University of Salford and RHS Garden Bridgewater in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with The Greater London Authority to discuss 'GI4RAQ' and their Air Quality Positive Policy - 2nd November 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with The Greater London Authority's Stella Yeung regarding the contribution 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) can make to Air Quality Positive initiatives. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with The Mersey Forest to scope Next Steps for 'GI4RAQ' and Equitable Ecosystem Services - 10th August 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with The Mersey Forest's Director, Paul Nolan OBE, to scope Next Steps for 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) and James' increasing focus on equitable provision of ecosystem services. -> James subsequently secured their partnership on a NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with The Woodland Trust to scope Next Steps for 'GI4RAQ' and Equitable Ecosystem Services - 29th November 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with The Woodland Trust's Urban Forestry Programme Lead, Sarah Shorley, and her colleagues to scope Next Steps for 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) and James' increasing focus on equitable provision of ecosystem services. -> James subsequently secured their partnership on a NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with Transport for Greater Manchester (Manchester) - Jul 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to engage representatives of Transport for Greater Manchester in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Transport for Greater Manchester (Manchester) - Oct 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | (Further) Presentation to engage representatives of Transport for Greater Manchester in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Transport for London (London) - Mar 20 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, representatives of Transport for London to engage them in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Transport for London (London) - Nov 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with, and pitch to, representatives of Transport for London to engage them in the development of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship bid re: reducing public exposure to road transport pollution, as a complement to essential emission reductions, for further improvements in public health (and health equality); see Other Outputs & Knowledge/Future Steps for more details. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with Transport for London to scope Next Steps for 'GI4RAQ' and Equitable Ecosystem Services - 9th June 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with Transport for London's Green Infrastructure Principal Policy Advisory, Charles Snead, and his colleagues to scope Next Steps for 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) and James' increasing focus on equitable provision of ecosystem services. -> James subsequently secured their partnership on a NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with Trees for Cities to scope Next Steps for 'GI4RAQ' and Equitable Ecosystem Services - 18th November 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | James Levine met with Trees for Cities' Deputy Chief Executive / Development Director, Kate Sheldon, to scope Next Steps for 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) and James' increasing focus on equitable provision of ecosystem services. -> James subsequently secured their partnership on a NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with West Midlands local authority representatives re air quality and the planning process (27/1/2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | James Levine joined Emma Ferranti and Joe Acton in a meeting with approximately a dozen West Midlands local authority representatives to discuss opportunities to embed air quality policy in the planning process. The meeting was organised, and held, under the umbrella of the WM-Air project, with potential linkages to the GI4RAQ project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with two West Midlands Business Improvement Districts to scope an Urban Greening Feasibility Study - 14th July 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Scoping meeting with two West Midlands Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) regarding the inclusion of 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality' (GI4RAQ) in a proposed programme of urban greening. -> James Levine subsequently undertook a four day GI4RAQ feasibility study for the BIDs through the University of Birmingham's Academic Consultancy Service. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Online Article - Air Quality News - Oct 19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I wrote this article (co-authored by Emma Ferranti, University of Birmingham) to clarify the role that green infrastructure can play in reducing exposure to road transport pollution in the urban environment and, thereby, improving public health outcomes. There have been a lot of mixed messages in the popular press, and even the academic literature. In line with the Air Quality Expert Group's (2018) report to DEFRA and the devolved authorities, this article aimed to clarify: - The removal of NO2 and PM2.5 by deposition to leaf surfaces is inefficient at the scale of realistic urban planting schemes; but - Vegetation barriers can have a pronounced effect on the distribution of pollution close to source (e.g. at the roadside) via changes in dispersion. The latter effect can be of benefit or disbenefit, and this scientific understanding calls for strategic, site-specific use of vegetation barriers to realise robustly beneficial (highly localised changes) in roadside air quality. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://airqualitynews.com/2019/10/04/why-green-infrastructure-is-critical-for-improving-air-quality... |
| Description | Participation in Belmont Forum's scoping of Collaborative Research Action for UKRI, 'Unlocking the Benefits of Urban Green and Blue Spaces' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | James Levine participated in a 4-hour international workshop, led by the Belmont Forum, to scope a Collaborative Research Action (CRA) for UKRI, 'Unlocking the Benefits of Urban Green and Blue Spaces'. This included drafting priority research challenges and questions which could potentially form the basis of a CRA (incl. Co-production; Culture; Inclusion; Sustainability; Policy; Trade-offs; Biodiversity; Scale; Co-benefits; Connectivity; and Monitoring, quality and technology) and suggestions of effective delivery mechanisms of a CRA in this research space (incl. Type and duration of funding; and Eligibility for funding). The Belmont Forum has since produced an independent 'Scoping Workshops Report' for UKRI, available at: https://www.ukri.org/publications/unlocking-the-benefits-of-urban-green-and-blue-spaces/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ukri.org/publications/unlocking-the-benefits-of-urban-green-and-blue-spaces/ |
| Description | Participation in The Mersey Forest's URBAN GreenUP Data Day (11th April 2022) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | James Levine participated in The Mersey Forest's URBAN GreenUP Data Day, reviewing measurements and modelling data generated in the £3.5 million Horizon 2020 project, URBAN GreenUP, and looking at how these data may be used to inform future green infrastructure planning (e.g., IoT in Digital Twinning). Participants included project partners, e.g., Liverpool City Council, University of Liverpool and their counterparts in Valladolid (Spain) and Izmir (Turkey). The aggregate data, and supporting data science, inform for instance the Liverpool City Region Green Infrastructure Framework. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/our-work/green-infrastructure/liverpool-city-region-green-infrastruc... |
| Description | Presentation at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Annual UK Research Review Meeting on Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Research - 14th October 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation - 'Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality in the context of the Climate Emergency: The need for selective and strategic urban tree planting'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.phe-events.org.uk/hpa/frontend/reg/absViewDocumentFE.csp?documentID=17697&eventID=961 |
| Description | Presentation of developing GI4RAQ Platform to Liverpool City Region and Cheshire regional air quality group (16/7/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of developing GI4RAQ Platform to Liverpool City Region and Cheshire regional air quality group, garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to CIRIA (6/8/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to CIRIA, exploring potential synergies between our software and B£ST - and the development of a joint GIS tool. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Greater Manchester Combined Authority & Transport for Greater Manchester (17/3/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Greater Manchester Combined Authority & Transport for Greater Manchester, garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to James Richer & David Deakin (AECOM) (3/7/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to James Richer & David Deakin (AECOM), exploring potential Digital Twins collaboration (3/7/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Julie Smith (Myerscough College) (2/6/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Julie Smith (Myerscough College), garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Kirklees Council (15/4/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Kirklees Council, garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Liverpool City Council and the Mersey Forest (5/5/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Liverpool City Council and the Mersey Forest, garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Mehrdad Borna (University of Westminster) (15/5/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Mehrdad Borna (University of Westminster) with a view to aligning common research interests. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Sabina Mohideen (Design Council) (4/6/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Sabina Mohideen (Design Council), garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Transport for London (22/4/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Transport for London, garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to West Yorkshire Combined Authority and five local authorities in the Combined Authority region (2/4/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to West Yorkshire Combined Authority and five local authorities in the Combined Authority region, garnering support for a bid to UKRI to: - Use the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to advise on the implementation of GI4RAQ in 12 road/public realm improvement schemes (across four regional combined authorities); - Deploy extensive instrumentation in said schemes to make robust measurements of the local air quality impacts of those GI4RAQ interventions; and - Use these measurements, in combination with computational fluid dynamics studies, to rigorously test and systematically improve the Platform's air quality code. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Wild Streets (25/5/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Wild Streets, exploring potential synergies between our software and theirs - and the development of a joint mobile app. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to the Greater London Authority's APRIL Group (23/4/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to the Greater London Authority's Air Pollution Research in London Group (Health and Exposure Sub-Group). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | Presentation to Branching Out (NERC Future of UK Treescapes) Project Team (13th March 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | James Levine gave a 10-min presentation to the Branching Out project team on his Fellowship (also funded through the NERC Future of UK Treescapes programme), AFFORE3ST: Advancing a planning Framework FOr Regionally Enhanced & Equitable Ecosystem Services from urban Treescapes. He will now be joining a number of Branching Out 'story-telling' workshops in Cardiff and Milton Keynes, to learn from them new approaches to public engagement - gleaning the value of trees capes to UK citizens through voluntary narratives - applicable to his fellowship. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.uktreescapes.org/projects/branching-out/ |
| Description | Presentation to Forest Research's Urban Forestry Group (17th January 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | James Levine gave a 10-min presentation to Forest Research's Urban Forestry Group on his NERC Future of UK Treescapes Fellowship, AFFORE3ST: Advancing a planning Framework FOr Regionally Enhanced & Equitable Ecosystem Services from urban Treescapes. He has since met three times with group members, Phillip Handley and Madalena Vaz-Monteiro, to discuss, scope and start writing a joint follow-on proposal. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.uktreescapes.org/projects/dr-james-levine/ |
| Description | Presentation to Tower Hamlets London Borough Council's Air Quality Team (1st March 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | James Levine gave a 10-min presentation to Tower Hamlets London Borough Council's Air Quality Team on his NERC Future of UK Treescapes fellowship, AFFORE3ST: Advancing a planning Framework FOr Regionally Enhanced & Equitable Ecosystem Services from urban Treescapes. The council's Principal Air Quality Officer, Nicoletta Vianello, is now engaged in his air-quality focussed contribution to a Strategic Planting Plan for the borough - led overall by Suzanne Littlewood, Senior Partnerships and Development Coordinator for Trees for Cities (AFFORE3ST partner). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.uktreescapes.org/projects/dr-james-levine/ |
| Description | Presentation to Tower Hamlets London Borough Council's Arboricultural Team (25th January 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | James Levine gave a 10-min presentation to Tower Hamlets London Borough Council's Arboricultural Team on his NERC Future of UK Treescapes fellowship, AFFORE3ST: Advancing a planning Framework FOr Regionally Enhanced & Equitable Ecosystem Services from urban Treescapes. The council's Senior Arboricultural Officer, Adam Armstrong, and Biodiversity Officer, John Archer, are now engaged in his air-quality focussed contribution to a Strategic Planting Plan for the borough - led overall by Suzanne Littlewood, Senior Partnerships and Development Coordinator for Trees for Cities (AFFORE3ST partner). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.uktreescapes.org/projects/dr-james-levine/ |
| Description | Presented the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to the TfWM-hosted Reference Group for Air Quality, Congestion and Environmental Sustainability (23/11/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presented the prototype GI4RAQ Platform to the Reference Group for Air Quality, Congestion and Environmental Sustainability hosted by Transport for the West Midlands (23/11/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Press Release (University of Birmingham) officially launching the Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform - 8th July 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The GI4RAQ Platform was officially launched via this University of Birmingham press release following publication of a peer-reviewed paper documenting the software and presenting first tests of its performance (https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/6/769). This is the first software enabling a wide variety of urban stakeholders (i.e., not only air quality specialists) to estimate quantitatively the site-specific impacts of roadside vegetation barriers on local exposure to proximate vehicular pollution via changes in pollutant dispersion close to source. At time of writing - 9 months after launch - the GI4RAQ Platform has over 170 registered users. It is, for example, currently in use by: - Transport for London, in partnership with the Greater London Authority, on a public-realm improvement scheme in a London borough - Liverpool City Council, in partnership with The Mersey Forest and Liverpool ONE (Grosvenor Group) on a scheme in central Liverpool It has already been used for GI4RAQ feasibility studies commissioned in relation to: - 2x West Midlands Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) - A 1.2km long road improvement scheme in the West of England It has attracted 12 months' sponsorship (limited to web hosting) by Trees for Cities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2021/07/open-source-software-to-help-cities-plant-in-pursui... |
| Description | Reasons to be cheerful 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Podcast: Ed Milliband and Geoff Lloyd interview A.R. MacKenzie: "reasons to be cheerful", released 28/7/2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://play.acast.com/s/reasonstobecheerful/9dac8b6b-545d-4c3e-84ab-f2c05db7ca15 |
| Description | Scoping Meeting with UKCEH the potential extend their City Explorer Toolkit to include 'GI4RAQ' - 9th December 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with Prof Laurence Jones, Principal Scientific Officer and Group Lead at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) to scope the potential to integrate Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) into their City Explorer Toolkit; James Levine and his colleagues at the University of Birmingham have developed the GI4RAQ Platform, offering quantitative estimates of the site-specific impacts of roadside vegetation barriers on local exposure to proximate vehicular pollution via changes in dispersion. James Levine secured Prof Laurence Jones' partnership on a NERC KE Fellowship proposal (NERC ref. NE/X001857/1) - submitted 18th January 2022: 'NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: QUantifiable and Equitable Services from Street Trees (QUESST) via Digital Twins'. Pending funding, they will together trial the integration of the GI4RAQ code in the GIS-based City Explorer Toolkit in a Birmingham Case Study - linking to existing UKCEH projects, REGREEN and DeSCIPHER. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Second presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Phil Christensen (Bentley - Digital Cities) (22/6/2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Second presentation of the developing GI4RAQ Platform to Phil Christensen (Bentley - Digital Cities), exploring potential Digital Twins collaboration (22/6/2020) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.gi4raq.ac.uk |
| Description | The Air We Breathe |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The University of Birmingham has opened a major new public engagement venue called The Exchange. The inaugural exhibition, called "The Air We Breathe", drew on many of the grants being reported here, both for air quality and for forests. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/the-exchange/index.aspx |