Net4Cities: advanced solutions for air and noise pollution in cities
Net4Cities focuses on improving the monitoring and approach of air and noise pollution in urban areas. The project integrates data of more than 30 monitoring stations in 11 European cities and 10 countries to create real-time maps and visual representations. These maps show citizens their exposure to pollution and support policymakers with evidence-based solutions.
Goal of the project
Net4Cities supports the realisation of the EU’s Zero Pollution Action Plan by improving air and noise pollution monitoring infrastructure and by providing evidence-based policy advice. Within the project advanced monitoring networks providing real-time data on air pollution (emissions and other substances) and noise pollution will be developed. This data is crucial for policy making, health studies and decision-making.
By collecting data from diverse cities with different geographical and climatic conditions, Net4Cities helps identify pollution sources, improve emissions inventories and develop accurate source allocation models. The collected data is integrated into regional and national databases to assess transport related emissions, identify non-compliant sources, contribute to enforcement and to reduce health effects.
VMM’s role
The VMM supports the online data collection of both regulated and emerging pollutants. The VMM is responsible for the installation of advanced measurement instrument at existing and new sites, including the ports of Limassol and Heraklion. These instruments collect data on air pollution, such as particulate matter (PM2,5 and PM10) and ultrafine particles, to help build a harmonised dataset for health studies and analysis of pollution source.
In addition, the VMM uses its experience with remote sensing for an extensive monitoring campaign in different partner cities (including Antwerp) to measure vehicle emissions to improve existing emissions data. By measuring on an individual vehicle level, the VMM can identify vehicles with unexpectedly high emissions and contribute to policy recommendations for Antwerp and other European cities. During the campaign in Antwerp, the VMM will work with VLABEL and the police to leverage their experience vehicle environmental enforcement and to share this knowledge with foreign partners. In this way we want to protect the environment and contribute to a fair economic playing field.
As the regional environmental protection authority for Flanders, the VMM also contributes to the regulation of air and noise pollution in urban areas, a task of great importance within the project.
Project partners
- Flanders Environment Agency
- Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO)
- Rear Window
- Milieudienst Rijnmond (NL)
- VDI/VDE Innovatie + Techniek GmbH (DE)
- Duits lucht- en ruimtevaartcentrum (DLR) (DE)
- Helmholtz-centrum Postdam - Duits onderzoekscentrum voor geowetenschappen (GFZ); onderzoeksinstituut voor duurzaamheid (DE)
- Universiteit van Bremen (DE)
- EarthSense Systems (VK)
- Stiftelsen Norsk Institutt Forluftforskning (NILU) (NO)
- Hogeschool Zürich (CH)
- Airmodus Ltd (FI)
- Universiteit van Barcelona (SP)
- Tecnalia (SP)
- Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi Staatsuniversiteit (GE)
- Universiteit van Kreta (GR)
- Instituut Cyprus (CY)
Net4Cities stared 01/2024 and runs until 12/2027 within the HORIZON programme (HORIZON-CL5-2023-D5-01 - Grant Agreement No. 101138405).
