In 2018, 20,000 citizens across the region of Flanders (Belgium) were mobilized to measure NO2 air quality levels in front of their houses. This resulted in an unprecedentedly large and internationally unique dataset on NO2 pollution, which was used to validate and improve an existing state-of-the-art computer model to predict NO2 air quality levels in Flanders. Aside from the science objectives, CurieuzeNeuzen Flanders also aimed at raising awareness about air quality and sustainable mobility. URL: https://2018.curieuzeneuzen.be/
Watch the introduction video with English subtitles:
In this video the ATMO street model was mentioned. If you want to learn more about it, please follow this link.
To evaluate the social impact of their project, CurieuzeNeuzen included three groups into the evaluation activities
a) Citizens, b) Policy-makers, and c) Academics.
Objective:
Conduct a longitudinal study of changes in knowledge, attitude and behaviour of different groups of citizens
Approach:
Three different groups were selected and received surveys at different time points of the project:
While
the first two groups were regularly provided with information material
from the project, the third group received project information only via
public media (newspaper, television).
A final, much smaller, fourth round of surveys was launched in December 2019 for a specific segment of the participants and non-selected candidates. It was sent out to those participants and non-selected candidates who indicated in the previous surveys that they were considering changing the location of their house, work, or school due to the NO2 pollution problem.
Impact indicators:
The surveys aimed at collecting data for the following indicators:
Objective:
Bring evidence for the project’s impact on agenda setting, discursive change, procedural change, policy change (changes in policy in the area of air quality and/or mobility), and/or policy implementation on the ground.
Approach and indicators:
First, a rough estimate of the perceived policy impact came from the CurieuzeNeuzen participants, as they were asked in the survey to what degree CurieuzeNeuzen contributed to discussing air pollution on local and regional level.
Second, the project observed the minutes of municipal councils and found several dozens of references to the CurieuzeNeuzen project.
Third, they investigated how many parliamentary questions have been asked by members of the Flemish parliament about CurieuzeNeuzen.
Fourth, they observed and documented that the project was referenced in the Flemish Air Policy Plan 2030 and in lawsuits against the government by Greenpeace.
Finally, they documented the feedback, interest, follow up projects on European and international level.
Objective:
Learn about the impact on the state-of the art of knowledge about air quality, mobility, and citizen science
Approach and indicators:
Here the project referred to the large dataset that helped to test the ATMO street model on an unprecedented scale. And the project used the metric of publications in scientific journals as another indicator of scientific impact.
A very detailed report about the instruments and outcomes of the impact evaluation can be found under the following link. We recommend reading the report if you want to learn more about the details of this interesting and very extended evaluation approach:
https://hiva.kuleuven.be/nl/onderzoek/thema/klimaatendo/p/themas/Documents/MainReport_CurieuzeNeuzen/at_download/file