Helsinki

Air quality

HOPE - Healthy Outdoor Premises for Everyone

« HOPE project is an excellent example of how the collaboration between different actors from businesses to scientist and to citizens can be build. At the same time, it showcases the possibilities of data utilisation to create higher quality services that meet the individual needs of the users»

Anni Sinnemäki, Deputy Mayor for Urban Development of the City of Helsinki
The project in numbers
21 000
citizens living in Jätkäsaari and over 6000 employees are affected by the air quality of the district
8 million
annual passenger and tourists using the Jätkäsaari West Harbor experience the district as soon as they step out of the ferry and are directly affected by the air quality impact solutions provided by HOPE
90 %
of city dwellers in Europe are exposed to pollutants at concentrations higher than the air quality levels deemed harmful to health
EUR 4,561,260.28
Total ERDF budget granted
Challenge addressed

The overall challenge is that measuring, analysing and dissemination of air quality data in any one location is very complicated and contaminated with error. Lack of the real-time and reliable high resolution data has led to a situation where finding the targeted interventions which also take into account our citizens and their needs at the same time  also targeting specific pollution concentrations is missing for  all European cities.
The main purpose of HOPE is to empower citizens to develop their own districts. Project focuses on three different districts with varying air quality challenges. Main focus will be in Jätkäsaari district with heavy port related traffic. Comparative measurements will be conducted in Mäkelänkatu-Kumpula section with street canyons and with over 40 000 daily vehicles and in Pakila district which is affected by main roads and wood burning at homes. 
Change that we want to achieve is that our citizens will find air quality issues easily relatable and understandable. 

Solution proposed

The proposed solution is creating a feedback loop between high-resolution hyperlocal air quality data and actions of individuals and communities through co-design and participatory budgeting. With better understanding of air quality hot-spots and issues due to new user centric, personally relevant data, which is combined with means and nudges to enable personal (and communal) behaviour change, we empower the residents to be the owners of their air quality.
To serve this we offer in-depth knowledge of the kind of exposure individuals from different backgrounds go through in their daily lives. We'll achieve this through comprehensive sensor network and development of air quality index 2.0 which offers more health oriented approach than existing AQ index.

Partnership
  • City of Helsinki;
  • University of Helsinki - higher education and research institute
  • Vaisala Plc - private enterprise
  • Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority - regional public authority
  • Finnish Meteorological Institute - national public authority
  • Useless Company Ltd - SME
  • Forum Virium Helsinki - innovation center
Expected results

Main result of the project is the development and validation of HOPE model for empowerment of the residents to understand and influence air quality, which leads to improvement of quality of life. Our results link to the main challenges that we have identified for the project - measuring, analysing and dissemination of air quality data in any one location is very complicated and contaminated with error.
As an overall result we want to achieve that in our chosen districts measurement, analysis and dissemination of air quality data is reliable, real-time and ever developing while encouraging change.
Our results have both technical and social aspects. On technical side we will have produced more comprehensive data on the air quality in the districts and developed more cost-efficient means to do this. On social level, our results will be the increased citizen participation and inclusion in the district. 

Main milestones

August 2019: site planning is done. Site planning includes the physical sensor location and network environment planning and utilising this the sensors will be placed in optimal locations.
December 2019: sensors placed in optimal measurement points. Based on the previously implemented site planning the actual sensors are placed in the locations.
December 2019: interventions catalogued. Utilising the expert participation we have catalogued the air quality interventions to be used in the project.
April 2020: first intervention selected and implemented. Based on the catalogue of interventions first participatory interventions are selected and in use. 
February 2021: first version of Lifespan models done. Based on the data gathered during the project a life span model is created and later validated in the project. 
November 2021: AQ 2.0 Index developed. Based on everything we have gathered during HOPE project implementation, the finalised AQ index 2.0 is created.

The project in numbers
21 000
citizens living in Jätkäsaari and over 6000 employees are affected by the air quality of the district
8 million
annual passenger and tourists using the Jätkäsaari West Harbor experience the district as soon as they step out of the ferry and are directly affected by the air quality impact solutions provided by HOPE
90 %
of city dwellers in Europe are exposed to pollutants at concentrations higher than the air quality levels deemed harmful to health
EUR 4,561,260.28
Total ERDF budget granted
Contact of the project
Jussi Kulonpalo
Project manager
Alena Bartonova
UIA Expert

Project news & events

View of Helsinki

The legacy of HOPE – final journal

After closing in April 2022, the UIA HOPE project leaves behind a lasting legacy. The project piloted in Helsinki a next generation of air quality mon...
The most precise air quality data in the world is being developed in Helsinki

The most precise air quality data in the world is being developed in Helsinki

The most precise air quality data in the world is being developed in Helsinki with a next generation sensor network and data modelling – city resident...
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The new Green Path route planner finds the cycling and walking routes with the best air quality

The recommendations of the new Green Paths routing tool for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area are based on real-time air quality data collected by new ai...
HOPE Journal 1: Helsinki on the path towards cleaner air

HOPE Journal 1: Helsinki on the path towards cleaner air

UIA Expert Alena Bartonova shares insights about the first months of implementation: “the first 16 months were dedicated to development of the complex...
HOPE sensor

First crowdsourced UIA HOPE citizen air quality measuring campaign

100% of the citizen of Jätkäsaari who participated to the first HOPE mobile air quality measuring campaign would recommend participating to the next c...

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