The AWAIR project: Driving air quality action with communities

Air pollution isn't just an environmental issue; it's a public health crisis. While people have become more aware of its harm, the actions they can take to protect themselves and their futures are less known about. This information gap is especially concerning considering the disproportionate impact of poor air quality on marginalised communities.

This is where the AWAIR project comes in. Funded by Impact on Urban Health and Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Imperial College partnered with TSIP, Studio Mogla, and On Our Radar to conduct this pioneering study fusing technology, innovation, and co-design to create low-cost outdoor air quality displays to help Lambeth, Southwark, and Hammersmith and Fulham communities see their local air quality in real-time. Our aim is to support community knowledge sharing around air quality, and the health impacts of air pollution, while recommending individual and collective actions to help people reduce air pollution in their communities.

This project has unfolded in three key stages so far:

Stage 1 - Prototype development and community identification. Imperial College first developed a functional prototype for outdoor use. TSIP then identified target communities in Lambeth and Southwark, using a baseline survey and mapping exercise, to co-design and launch the air quality displays in. Peckham, Gipsy Hill and White City were identified as areas that experience higher levels of pollution and health impacts compared with the rest of the borough, while being home to a slightly older population who are less likely to have interacted with digitally available air pollution information.

Prototype of the air quality display design.

Andrew Grieve, Imperial College, assembling the prototype.

Stage 2- Co-design workshops and prototype refinement. We held workshops with each ward to gather resident input on the design and deployment of the displays. During the workshops, we also canvassed opinion on where residents would like to see units deployed and how many to inform the deployment strategy. The displays were then refined for a small batch of display units to be produced.

Participants during a workshop in Nunhead

Stage 3 - Community deployment and follow-up engagement. Once the displays were ready to launch, 15 devices were deployed around each ward in partnership with residents and community groups after gaining location approval from the local authority. We worked with residents to install the displays in key locations, ensuring their opinions of where the displays should be showcased were honoured. We also hosted a launch event for each ward to celebrate the contributions and labour of the community. Our second round of deploying devices took part early this year and now that devices have been installed for over six months, TSIP and Imperial will engage the community once again.

Launch event of the AWAIR display in Gipsy Hill

From our journey co-designing with the community, we have highlighted four key learnings below:

Our co-design workshops revealed a strong interest in accessible air quality information from the community. Residents appreciated the visibility of the displays and felt empowered by their presence, believing that the displays would encourage positive behavioral changes, such as reducing car usage and adopting more sustainable habits. This shows how the community is keen to have transparency and readily available data for issues that concern them.
The air quality displays were viewed by the community as a means to foster engagement and collective action on environmental concerns, empowering residents to work together to improve air quality. As there is a growing desire for stronger social cohesion and shared responsibility, the organic development of community and social infrastructure around the displays presents a much-needed opportunity for communities to gather, connect, and mobilise.
Accessibility and inclusivity were strong considerations that came up during the design of the displays. Community members emphasised the need for large, accessible displays with multilingual support and sustainable materials. They also highlighted the potential negative psychological impact of poor air quality data and suggested action-oriented messaging. The community's feedback was invaluable, as it reflected the diversity of the wards and highlighted the lived experience of the residents, who expressed consideration and care for their fellow community members.
Participants wanted to be involved in choosing high-traffic locations for the displays to maximize their impact. Continuous engagement was crucial for maintaining involvement and informed the hiring of Community Champions, who will act as custodians of the AWAIR displays and key links for local knowledge sharing to the project's reach and impact within the community. Community ownership is thus seen as vital for the long-term success of the AWAIR project.

The AWAIR project acts with urgency to expand access to air quality information and has demonstrated the potential of community-driven, technology-enabled solutions to address local information needs. By making air quality data visible and accessible, we aim to empower residents to make informed choices and advocate for cleaner air. Our follow-up engagement will evaluate the project's impact on public discourse around local air pollution, and whether the AWAIR displays meet local needs. We also hope to scale the initiative beyond the three pilot wards early next year.

If you have seen the AWAIR displays and want to give feedback, please click here for a link to the latest survey and a chance to win a £50 gift voucher.

Website Editor3 April 2025