CityAir Community
Air quality community engagement throughout the year
Each year, the Air Quality team holds a number of community engagement programmes and engagement events aimed at the residential, school and business communities.
We work with schools and nurseries in the Square Mile to understand the air quality around the premises and where necessary develop an Action Plan.
We offer air quality assemblies, lessons and other opportunities to highlight air quality issues and raise awareness. These can include:
- monitoring by diffusion tubes to assess monthly average levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution.
- assemblies
- focused lessons
- themed competitions
- engagement with garden and eco-clubs
Please email the Air Quality Team if you're interested in air quality engagement or monitoring in your school or nursery.
We work with residents and community groups in the Square Mile to raise awareness and understanding around the topic of air quality, including how to best reduce your exposure to air pollution and contribute to reducing your personal pollution emissions.
We offer air quality lectures and workshops to community groups and charitable organisations who are interested in finding out more about air quality in the Square Mile. In addition, we have two hand-held particulate matter monitors which can be loaned for short-term community air quality monitoring programmes and can advise groups on cost-effective monitoring of local nitrogen dioxide pollution. We do have an existing extensive air quality monitoring network across the Square Mile.
Contact the Air Quality Team if you're interested in an air quality talk, workshop or monitoring programme for your community group.
Clean Air Day is on the third Thursday of June.
Set up by Global Action Plan, Clean Air Day is the largest nation-wide engagement for raising awareness on air pollution.
Find out more about Clean Air Day and how to get involved at the Global Action Plan's Clean Air Day.
If you would like us to partner with you for Clean Air Day, please contact the Air Quality Team.
DEFRA Air Quality Awareness Programme 2022-2024
We were awarded funding from the 2021/22 Defra Air Quality Grant (DAQG) to collaborate on an air quality awareness-raising project with London Boroughs of Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets.
The project aims were to:
- increase knowledge and awareness of how individuals can reduce their exposure to air pollution
- disseminate information on air quality and exposure reduction to those communities where data shows that both air pollution levels and rates of deprivation are higher
- communicate with those who are clinically vulnerable to air pollution such as children and those living with a respiratory illness
Air Quality Webtool
We have developed a webtool to help residents and communities in the City of London, Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets better understand local air pollution and the ways they can help reduce their exposure to air pollution and help create cleaner air.
Air Aware shows live particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels in the Square Mile and neighbouring areas so people can lower their exposure to air pollution.
It also features an ‘assistant’ chat function to give advice and answer user questions, as well as an information hub with extra tools, videos, and resources – plus a community section with news and local events.
The tool, which can be accessed using a web browser for free via smartphone, tablet or laptop, can also be publicly accessed using new digital display screens at the Artizan Street Library and Community Centre, and Barbican Library.