Category: Cities and local authorities

City of London Air Quality Data Visualisation

Aether developed an online, interactive data visualisation for the City of London that could be used by policy makers and the general public to explore data and information on air quality. Topics covered include air pollutant emissions, bus fleet emission control technologies and the health impacts of air pollution.

The challenge

The City of London can experience high levels of air pollution, with nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter being the two pollutants of most concern. The City Corporation, which governs the City of London, is required by statute to measure air pollution and to develop and implement a plan for improvement as health-based pollutant limits are exceeded. In 2001, the whole of the Square Mile was declared an Air Quality Management area for nitrogen dioxide and small particles (PM10).  This project has provided new access to information for the public to improve their understanding of these issues.

 
The solution

The City Corporation was undertaking a review of the City of London Air Quality Strategy and wanted to include static visualisations of air quality data and information. Aether created an online, interactive data visualisation from which screenshots could be taken for the Air Quality Strategy. This approach provided not only the static visualisations but also a tool that could be used for engagement with policy makers and the public. 

 
The result

The visualisation that Aether developed can be found here. This tool allows technical and non-technical users to explore the data and information. It can be used for engagement with the public and to aid evidence-based policy making. This tool can be updated and developed in the future to provide an ongoing aid for visualising complex information and drawing key messages on air pollution trends.

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Kathryn Hampshire

Principal Consultant

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Testimonial

Don't just take our word for it...

“It has been a pleasure to work with Chris Dore and Richard Claxton from Aether: they did their job in a very professional and timely manner. The workshop was organized and carried out in a cooperative spirit; the information provided to the workshop participants was complete and clear.”

Alina Novikova, UN/ECE Secretariat

“We have been collaborating with Aether for several years, and our projects have greatly benefited from it. Aether staff are very knowledgeable, professional and flexible - and last but not least, very friendly and a pleasure to work with.”

Umhverfisstofnun, Environment Agency of Iceland

“If we have a need for any more reports in the future Aether will be first on my list.”

Alan Hardy, Kyson Design

“The team at Aether works very professionally and communicates very well which makes working with them a pleasure. Outputs are delivered on time to high quality. The team brings the rigour of technical knowledge and expertise and finds innovative ways of communicating complex messages. I would be happy to recommend the Aether team to organisations working on analysing and presenting emissions information in the public domain.”

Fiona Glover, States of Jersey

“Professional team and very collaborative communication. Effective result in terms of suggestions for improvement in the quality of the inventory and proposals on how to streamline specific topics.”

Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research

“I must congratulate each of you for your professional and tireless efforts. Let me point out that this has been the 'neatest' in-country review expert review team I have coordinated, and it has been a real pleasure.”

UNFCCC Secretariat

“Aether delivered training workshops and generated learning materials for our SSN members, providing technical content in a manageable and comprehendible format. We particularly benefitted from their extensive knowledge and ability to interpret the needs of our members into the training materials.”

Jennifer Anderson, Sustainable Scotland Network

“The Aether team were a joy to work with and I would recommend the consultancy - the service provided throughout the process was exceptional.”

Clare Bayley, Defra

“Both the face-to-face training and the online version have been of high quality, with dynamic methods and a practical orientation that have allowed students to reach a solid knowledge base. The products have been delivered within the stipulated deadlines with an excellent quality and the team has always shown willingness to make adjustments according to the requirements of CONAF. We are very satisfied with the work. ”

Javier Cano Martín, Professional Unit for Climate Change and Environmental Services, CONAF (National Forestry Corporation), Chile

“It is always an absolute pleasure working with Aether. I always know what is expected of me. Their work ethic is of a very high standard and projects are always handled in a very professional manner. I have learnt many skills in terms of project management, quality control and workshop training styles from Aether and I hope to carry these principles forward in my own work. I look forward to collaborating with Aether more in the future.”

Luanne Stevens, Gondwana

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