Helsinki

The overall challenge is that measuring, analysing and dissemination of air quality data in any one location is very complicated and contaminated with error. Lack of the real-time and reliable high resolution data has led to a situation where finding the targeted interventions which also take into account our citizens and their needs at the same time  also targeting specific pollution concentrations is missing for  all European cities.
The main purpose of HOPE is to empower citizens to develop their own districts. Project focuses on three different districts with varying air quality challenges. Main focus will be in Jätkäsaari district with heavy port related traffic. Comparative measurements will be conducted in Mäkelänkatu-Kumpula section with street canyons and with over 40 000 daily vehicles and in Pakila district which is affected by main roads and wood burning at homes. 
Change that we want to achieve is that our citizens will find air quality issues easily relatable and understandable. 

The proposed solution is creating a feedback loop between high-resolution hyperlocal air quality data and actions of individuals and communities through co-design and participatory budgeting. With better understanding of air quality hot-spots and issues due to new user centric, personally relevant data, which is combined with means and nudges to enable personal (and communal) behaviour change, we empower the residents to be the owners of their air quality.
To serve this we offer in-depth knowledge of the kind of exposure individuals from different backgrounds go through in their daily lives. We'll achieve this through comprehensive sensor network and development of air quality index 2.0 which offers more health oriented approach than existing AQ index.

• City of Helsinki;
• University of Helsinki - higher education and research institute
• Vaisala Plc - private enterprise
• Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority - regional public authority
• Finnish Meteorological Institute - national public authority
• Useless Company Ltd - SME
• Forum Virium Helsinki - innovation center

Main result of the project is the development and validation of HOPE model for empowerment of the residents to understand and influence air quality, which leads to improvement of quality of life. Our results link to the main challenges that we have identified for the project - measuring, analysing and dissemination of air quality data in any one location is very complicated and contaminated with error.
As an overall result we want to achieve that in our chosen districts measurement, analysis and dissemination of air quality data is reliable, real-time and ever developing while encouraging change.
Our results have both technical and social aspects. On technical side we will have produced more comprehensive data on the air quality in the districts and developed more cost-efficient means to do this. On social level, our results will be the increased citizen participation and inclusion in the district. 

August 2019: site planning is done. Site planning includes the physical sensor location and network environment planning and utilising this the sensors will be placed in optimal locations.
December 2019: sensors placed in optimal measurement points. Based on the previously implemented site planning the actual sensors are placed in the locations.
December 2019: interventions catalogued. Utilising the expert participation we have catalogued the air quality interventions to be used in the project.
April 2020: first intervention selected and implemented. Based on the catalogue of interventions first participatory interventions are selected and in use. 
February 2021: first version of Lifespan models done. Based on the data gathered during the project a life span model is created and later validated in the project. 
November 2021: AQ 2.0 Index developed. Based on everything we have gathered during HOPE project implementation, the finalised AQ index 2.0 is created.