Green Gown Awards 2018 - University of the West of England - Finalist

ClairCity is bringing citizens into the heart of air quality and carbon emissions management across six European cities. We are modelling and quantifying citizen behaviours to better identify air pollution and carbon emission reduction strategies.

In partnership with the technical work, we are running an array of public engagement to involve people throughout the project. We have an innovative online game (ClairCity Skylines), and a business-focused app. We run workshops, events, schools’ activities, surveys and video projects to broaden the range of people engaged with the issues of air pollution and climate change. Over 5,000 city residents have got involved so far.

Beyond helping people to understand the problem, our techniques allow citizens to inform the best solutions for their city. Solving air pollution will improve all our lives, but different solutions will have a range of other impacts. We want any policy proposal for air quality to include a thorough understanding of the preferences of local people. This ensures maximum support and efficacy for air quality improvement and carbon emission reduction measures.

Top 3 learnings:

1. We involved decision-makers from the beginning. Making them a partner and active participant increases our impact.

2. We engaged “hard-to-reach” groups by respecting their priorities and working within their timescales and locations.

3. Novel solutions and techniques expand the discussion. Bring something new to the table.