City of Ghent and VMM jointly measure air quality around De Krekel elementary school
In early January, the City of Ghent and the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) joined forces to map the air quality around elementary school De Krekel. This project is part of the European CityTRAQ project, using sensors and real-time data to investigate how visible air quality measurements can stimulate behavioral change.
Real-time air quality visible at school gate
The school environment at De Krekel looked a little different in January. At the school gate, a large screen showed the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air in real time for three weeks. This data, collected by sensors from the VMM, compared the air quality in the car-free school street with the air quality in the nearby drop-off zone.
In addition to air quality measurements, the display also depicted how the children come to school: by foot, by bike or by car. This should make both parents and children aware of their mobility choices and their impact on air quality.
Students commit to cleaner air
The project is not limited to the screen at the school gate. Children from year 5 participated in an educational session on air quality taught by the VMM. During the lesson, the children learned about the causes and effects of air pollution, and went out themselves to measure the air quality in the neighbourhood.
“It was special to see how enthusiastically the students got started. They are not only curious, but also very involved in the topic”, said Celien Van Gorp, who supervised the lesson.
Behavioral change as a goal
The data and insights will later be evaluated. The goal is to investigate whether the visible real-time information at the school leads to behavioral changes, such as more students and parents taking the bike instead of the car. With this project, the City of Ghent and the VMM want to set an example for other schools and municipalities.