CurieuzeNeuzen Vlaanderen - measuring NO2 levels

1. Introduction to the project

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.

2. The evaluation approach

To evaluate the social impact of their project, CurieuzeNeuzen included three groups into the evaluation activities

a) Citizens, b) Policy-makers, and c) Academics.

a) Citizens

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:

• Participants of the CurieuzeNeuzen project (no. of participants = 20,000):
  This group was surveyed three times: a first time during the period of the actual air quality measurements (May-June 2018);
  the second time in the period after the announcement of the measurement results (November-December 2018);
  and a third time more than one year after the measurement period (July 2019).
  
  
• Non-selected candidates (citizens who wanted to participate in the project, but were not selected to do so) (no. of non-selected candidates = 32,630):
  This group was surveyed twice: a first time during the period of measurement (May-June 2018), and
  a second time one year after the period of measurement (July 2019).
  
  
• Average citizens (no. of average citizens = 1,000).
  To compare the effects in the previous two groups with a reference group that was not connected to CurieuzeNeuzen, a sample of 1,000 respondents was surveyed from one of the largest web panels in Flanders.
  This reference group was also surveyed twice: a first time during the period of measurement (May-June 2018), and
  a second time one year after the period of measurement (July 2019).

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:

• Motivation to participate and expectations
• Self-reported learning
• Temporal change of knowledge on air pollution
• Temporal change in concerns about various societal challenges
• Temporal change in support for different policy options
• Behavioural intentions
  
• Behavioural change



b) Policy-makers

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.

c) Academics

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.

3. Evaluation results

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