A participatory research approach for road traffic and air pollution monitoring

Citizen Science is a research strategy based on participatory methods and aimed at shortening the gap between citizens and research, actively involving citizens in studies issues of public interest. In this perspective, a survey regarding urban quality air monitoring was conducted to elicit the readiness of Italian citizens in hosting at their living and/or working places sensors connected to an integrated monitoring platform (IMP) developed to monitor road traffic and related air pollution. The observation system, composed of an air quality sensors box and a traffic monitoring device, is a portable and easy-to-be-handled device which can be placed on windows facing high traffic flows roads. The survey based on an online (anonymous) questionnaire (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dExoTcMl6cksmH8luLfTi4E465OosCOL8gjbmOd9xHo/viewform), was developed on the "Google form" platform and aimed at: i) creating a direct contact with citizens; ii) understanding the level of interest of respondents in environmental/traffic (and health) issues; iii) involving citizens in a network of participatory environment monitoring and city management activities; iv) characterizing the respondents' profiles; v) validating the IMP model; vi) supporting local governance. Information was collected on respondents' age, gender, education, profession as well as on familiarity with ICT and social media. Furthermore, the questionnaire was set up to receive citizens' suggestions useful to support and improve the research. People responding to the questionnaire were invited to a workshop held in Florence at the Osservatorio Ximeniano (February 2017) where the functioning of the platform was illustrated. The analysis of quali - quantitative data will be exploited in order to possibly support local institutions in territorial governance choices.