New online tool to help residents reduce the impact of traffic-related
air pollution

Date:
September 23, 2021
Source:
University of Surrey
Summary:
Researchers have released a new online tool to help schools,
hospitals and residents understand and reduce the impact of
traffic-related air pollution.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers at the University of Surrey have released a new online tool
to help schools, hospitals and residents understand and reduce the impact
of traffic- related air pollution.


==========================================================================
The Hedge Design for the Abatement of Traffic Emissions (HedgeDATE) --
online tool allows users to describe their environment -- such as a road
with buildings on one side -- and then recommends actions citizens can
take to improve its air quality.

For example, HedgeDATE advises that a resident living in a shallow
street canyon should install hedges and a green wall; the tool can also
give more detailed information on the species of plants suitable for
different locations.

The development of HedgeDATE builds on years of research and public
engagement work by the University of Surrey's Global Centre for Clean
Air Research (GCARE). HedgeDATE grew out of workshops on air pollution mitigation conducted with local communities as part of Guildford
Living Lab.

Professor Prashant Kumar, founding director of GCARE and founder of the Guildford Living Lab at the University of Surrey, said: "The best use
of research is for public benefit. However, this poses the challenge
of translating complex science into simple, evidence-based actions. At
GCARE, we proactively engage with the community and produce co-designed solutions such as HedgeDATE. Soon, when the world is back on its feet
after the pandemic, we will need to come to terms with the air pollution
and climate change crisis.

"HedgeDATE is about giving ordinary people -- our schools, hospitals
and councils -- easy-to-use tools that can inspire them to make a real difference to the quality of the air they breathe." Justine Fuller,
co-author of the paper on HedgeDATE from Guildford Borough Council,
said: "We have been collaborating with Professor Kumar's team for many
years. The HedgeDATE tool is an excellent means of engaging the public
on air pollution issues. It has been a pleasure to support this project
and will look forward to sharing this with the interested user groups."
Dr Stuart Cole, another co-author from Oxfordshire County Council, said:
"We're proud to be collaborators on the HedgeDATE project. HedgeDATE will
be a useful educational tool for councils, schools, other organisations
and members of the public to consult when planning green areas for
improved air quality." Professor Stephen Holgate, UK Research and
Innovation and Met Office Clean Air Champion, and Special Advisor to
the Royal College of Physicians on Air Quality, said: "HedgeDATE is
another excellent outcome of the work undertaken by Professor Kumar's
team to communicate complex science via practical and accessible
means. Like their earlier work on guidance for schools, this tool will
help to improve and protect public health. There is an urgent need for a joined-up approach to communication, which is one of the next important
tasks for us in our role as UKRI/Met Office Clean Air Champions." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Surrey. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Yendle Barwise, Prashant Kumar, Arvind Tiwari, Fahad Rafi-Butt,
Aonghus
McNabola, Stuart Cole, Benjamin C.T. Field, Justine Fuller,
Jeewaka Mendis, Kayleigh J. Wyles. The co-development of HedgeDATE,
a public engagement and decision support tool for air pollution
exposure mitigation by green infrastructure. Sustainable Cities
and Society, 2021; 75: 103299 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2021.103299 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210923102103.htm

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