Monitoring and Understanding Urban Transformation: A Mixed Method Approach

TY - JOUR

T1 - Monitoring and Understanding Urban Transformation

T2 - A Mixed Method Approach

AU - Bannan, Thomas J.

AU - Evans, James

AU - Benton, Jack S.

AU - Edwards, Pete

AU - Diez, Sebastian

AU - Marsden, Nicholas

AU - Flynn, Michael

AU - Coe, Hugh

AU - Burke, Clare

AU - Murabito, Ettore

AU - Anderson, Jamie

AU - Cruickshank, Sheena M.

AU - Topping, David

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the EPSRC UKCRIC Manchester Urban Observatory (University of Manchester) (grant number: EP/P016782/1). The QUANT team would like to thank the UKRI/Defra Clean Air Programme for the funding (NE/T00195X/1). The air quality data from the supersite were supported by UKRI grant NE/T001984/1. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Bannan, Evans, Benton, Edwards, Diez, Marsden, Flynn, Coe, Burke, Murabito, Anderson, Cruickshank and Topping.

PY - 2022/1/13

Y1 - 2022/1/13

N2 - Cities must address many challenges including air quality, climate change and the health and wellbeing of communities. Public authorities and developers increasingly look to improve these through the implementation of interventions and innovations, such as low traffic neighbourhoods, deep housing retrofits and green infrastructure. Monitoring the impacts of interventions is essential to determine the success of such projects and to build evidence for broader urban transformation. In this paper we present a mixed-method cross-disciplinary approach that brings together cutting edge atmospheric and data science, measurements of activity in public spaces and novel methods to assess wellbeing-promoting behaviours. The Manchester Urban Observatory focuses on living areas that have a high density of inter-related systems, which require observation, understanding and intervention at multiple levels. This must be completed in line with urban planning goals as well as a clear and succinct data solution that allows robust scientific conclusions to be made and viewed in real time. Delivery of such a monitoring strategy is not trivial and is time, resource and expertise heavy. This paper discusses the methods employed by the Manchester Urban Observatory to monitor the effectiveness off interventions implemented within cities and effective communication strategies with local communities.

AB - Cities must address many challenges including air quality, climate change and the health and wellbeing of communities. Public authorities and developers increasingly look to improve these through the implementation of interventions and innovations, such as low traffic neighbourhoods, deep housing retrofits and green infrastructure. Monitoring the impacts of interventions is essential to determine the success of such projects and to build evidence for broader urban transformation. In this paper we present a mixed-method cross-disciplinary approach that brings together cutting edge atmospheric and data science, measurements of activity in public spaces and novel methods to assess wellbeing-promoting behaviours. The Manchester Urban Observatory focuses on living areas that have a high density of inter-related systems, which require observation, understanding and intervention at multiple levels. This must be completed in line with urban planning goals as well as a clear and succinct data solution that allows robust scientific conclusions to be made and viewed in real time. Delivery of such a monitoring strategy is not trivial and is time, resource and expertise heavy. This paper discusses the methods employed by the Manchester Urban Observatory to monitor the effectiveness off interventions implemented within cities and effective communication strategies with local communities.

KW - air quality

KW - city data

KW - community engagement

KW - traffic

KW - urban observatory

KW - urban transformation

KW - wellbeing

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85123287501&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/frsc.2021.787484

DO - 10.3389/frsc.2021.787484

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85123287501

SN - 2624-9634

VL - 3

JO - Frontiers in Sustainable Cities

JF - Frontiers in Sustainable Cities

M1 - 787484

ER -