EarthSense Systems reveals cleaner air routes in city-wide project

A project has been launched to produce city-wide visualisations of air quality through combining EarthSense Systems' (ESS) ordnance survey (OS) geospatial data and real-time air quality data. The technology, a joint venture between Bluesky and University of Leicester, is being used to highlight areas of higher pollution and allows users to identify cleaner air routes such as parks or canal routes. ESS captures measurements on air quality through using a zephyr sensor and a city-wide network of sensors.
October 13, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

A project has been launched to produce city-wide visualisations of air quality through combining EarthSense Systems' (ESS) ordnance survey (OS) geospatial data and real-time air quality data.

The technology, a joint venture between Bluesky and University of Leicester, is being used to highlight areas of higher pollution and allows users to identify cleaner air routes such as parks or canal routes.

ESS captures measurements on air quality through using a zephyr sensor and a city-wide network of sensors. It delivers data forecasting, master planning and confirms cleaner cycling routes by combining with other inputs such as satellite observations, weather conditions and traffic emission data in its MappAir modelling solution. The data is available hourly, with a three day forecast, and historically, with resolutions ranging from 1m for detailed study areas to 10m for full city maps, and 100m for the national picture.

The OS Open Greenspace product is used to communicate EarthSense’s modelled air quality levels; depicting the location and extent of recreational and leisure facilities. The features included within the data are parks, play spaces, golf courses and allotments. In addition, the OS Maps app allows users to view the greenspace information and assists them with locating greenspaces in their local area.

Philip Wyndham, strategic development manager at the Ordance survey, said, “The insights gained from such modelling can also be used by policy makers and city planners to make practical interventions around mitigating hot spots – such as traffic light phasing, coordination of streetworks or correctly maintained urban trees and hedges which can trap many harmful pollutants."

Air Quality & Weather Systems

Related Content

  • London’s first Low Emission Bus Zone to tackle toxic air
    March 15, 2017
    London’s first Low Emission Bus Zone has been launched in Putney High Street, one of the most polluted areas of the capital. The clean bus zone, which runs a total of 145 buses on seven scheduled routes, will now be serviced by cleaner buses in a move to cut harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The route is the first of 12 new Low Emission Bus Zones to be introduced at air quality hotspots. The zones represent the most extensive network of clean buses of any major world city. The routes are one‎ p
    Read More
  • Lidar lets planners see big picture in Chattanooga
    April 14, 2025
    The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is attempting to make its streets safer by using the largest deployment of Lidar-based traffic detection in the US. Adam Hill reports…
    Read More
  • Close shave for Brazilian project
    June 12, 2015
    Signing the order to equip a new control room just 45 days before the city hosts a major sporting event is challenging - but some deadlines just cannot be moved. There is nothing like a deadline to concentrate minds and effort as Mitsubishi and the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte discovered in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup. Although municipal authorities had been considering a new command centre for years, it was the hosting of the World Cup last summer that provided the final impetus.
    Read More
  • Consortium to develop Spanish ‘smart city’
    June 24, 2013
    A temporary joint venture comprising Indra, Altia, R and Ilux has been awarded the first phase of the Smart Coruña project and will develop the first comprehensive platform for a smart city in the city of A Corũna in Galicia, Spain. The consortium will be responsible for the design, supply, installation and configuration of all the computer equipment and software infrastructure that comprises the Smart Coruña platform. It will also establish the technical project office for the consultancy and supervision o
    Read More

Highlighted Content