Improving desk-based methods for quantifying and enhancing air pollution mitigation by green infrastructure at different spatial scales
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Surrey
Department Name: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract
Air pollution is the greatest environmental hazard to human health, and of particular concern in urban areas, where elevated pollutant concentrations and potential sufferers converge. Green infrastructure (GI) is known to be an effective method of carbon sequestration, thereby helping to tackle the intertwined issue of climate change. Pollutants may also be directly mitigated through various physical, biological and chemical interactions between GI and the surrounding atmosphere.
A mounting body of evidence supports the use of GI as a passive control system for urban air pollution. Targeted design and management of GI can maximise its air pollution mitigation potential. However, the relationship between GI and air quality is complex, and the literature regarding vegetation species selection for enhanced air pollution abatement under specific urban contexts is not clear-cut. At local scale, GI can act as a barrier between air pollutants and pedestrians as well as a means to capture or disperse ambient pollutants. Efficient GI design at local scale, including appropriate species selection, requires an appreciation of site-specific physical and environmental conditions. Resource-effective GI design and implementation at city scale and above, however, requires efficient assessment methodologies and broadly applicable principles.
Research findings to date illustrate that there is an urgent need for a pragmatic framework that facilitates resource-effective GI management for improved urban air quality. The founding objective of this PhD project is to build upon results from the student's Masters project, in which it was found that a compromise may exist between high-resolution, on-the-ground assessments of air pollution mitigation by existing GI and lower-resolution, desk-based methodologies that utilise remote sensing. We intend to extend this novel, desk-based approach to include design recommendations that are generated according to context-specific input criteria.
The aim of this PhD project is to develop a GI design framework for enhanced urban air pollution mitigation, which will involve a novel methodology for the generation of site-specific recommendations, incorporating results from field experimentation, remote sensing, and citizen science work.
A mounting body of evidence supports the use of GI as a passive control system for urban air pollution. Targeted design and management of GI can maximise its air pollution mitigation potential. However, the relationship between GI and air quality is complex, and the literature regarding vegetation species selection for enhanced air pollution abatement under specific urban contexts is not clear-cut. At local scale, GI can act as a barrier between air pollutants and pedestrians as well as a means to capture or disperse ambient pollutants. Efficient GI design at local scale, including appropriate species selection, requires an appreciation of site-specific physical and environmental conditions. Resource-effective GI design and implementation at city scale and above, however, requires efficient assessment methodologies and broadly applicable principles.
Research findings to date illustrate that there is an urgent need for a pragmatic framework that facilitates resource-effective GI management for improved urban air quality. The founding objective of this PhD project is to build upon results from the student's Masters project, in which it was found that a compromise may exist between high-resolution, on-the-ground assessments of air pollution mitigation by existing GI and lower-resolution, desk-based methodologies that utilise remote sensing. We intend to extend this novel, desk-based approach to include design recommendations that are generated according to context-specific input criteria.
The aim of this PhD project is to develop a GI design framework for enhanced urban air pollution mitigation, which will involve a novel methodology for the generation of site-specific recommendations, incorporating results from field experimentation, remote sensing, and citizen science work.
Publications
Barwise Y
(2020)
Designing vegetation barriers for urban air pollution abatement: a practical review for appropriate plant species selection
in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Barwise Y
(2020)
Enhancing air pollution mitigation by urban green infrastructure
Tomson M
(2021)
Green infrastructure for air quality improvement in street canyons.
in Environment international
Description | SCAN (Street-scale Greening for Cooling and Clean Air in Cities) project |
Organisation | University of Wollongong |
Country | Australia |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Writing scientific paper; organising and running a workshop/webinar for knowledge transfer/public engagement |
Collaborator Contribution | Writing scientific paper; organising and running a workshop/webinar for knowledge transfer/public engagement; hosting research students at respective organisations |
Impact | Tomson, M., Kumar, P., Barwise, Y. et al. (2021). Green infrastructure for air quality improvement in street canyons. Environment International, 146 |
Start Year | 2020 |
Title | HedgeDATE (Hedge Design for Abatement of Traffic Emissions) |
Description | A web-based application, aimed at the general public, that enables users to understand the impacts of green infrastructure (trees, hedges, etc) on urban air pollution, and supports users to identify appropriate design and management considerations for green infrastructure implementation. |
Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | A scientific publication on the development of this software is currenly under review |
Description | HedgeDATE (Hedge Design For the Abatement of Traffic Emissions) workshop |
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 | ~20 members of the general public from Guildford (Surrey) and surrounding areas attended a public workshop to provide end-user feedback on a public engagement and decision support tool (HedgeDATE: Hedge Design for the Abatement of Traffic Emisisons) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/university-surreys-gcare-team-presents-hedgedate-prototype-part-iscape... |
Description | Poster presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | A poster presentation on the project was delivered via an online event (New Horizons: Doctoral College Conference 2020) organised by the university. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.surrey.ac.uk/doctoral-college/conference |
Description | Poster presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | A poster presentation on the project was delivered at a workshop (CArE-Cities Workshop) involving academics from around the world. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.surrey.ac.uk/global-centre-clean-air-research/gallery/first-care-cities-workshop |
Description | Presentation at RHS Wisley PhD Symposium |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | ~50 people (primarily researchers and practitioners) attended an event at RHS Wisley, which involved discussion on scientific and pertinent concepts/studies/projects related to botany, plant biology, plant management, and ecosystem services. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Press release on Barwise and Kumar (2020) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A press release was issued on the publication of the core review paper of this project (Barwise and Kumar, 2020).This was picked up and referenced by more than 25 different global news outlets (https://nature.altmetric.com/details/78376183/news), including BBC news (https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200504-which-trees-reduce-air-pollution-best) and UPI (https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2020/03/26/Scientists-identify-best-trees-for-fighting-roadside-pollution/9801585233863/). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/new-framework-will-help-decide-which-trees-are-best-fight-against-air-... |